There are many references to Pedro Almodóvar's universe throughout the film. The name of the plane is Chavela Blanca, in clear reference to Pedro's beloved singer and friend Chavela Vargas and to another of his most cherished friends, the late Blanca Sánchez. The air company Peninsula is shortened in the plane top wing as Pe, Penélope Cruz's renowned nickname.
As usual in most of Pedro Almodóvar's movies, there is a small role for Agustín Almodóvar, his brother and producer of the film, who plays a tower controller at the landing airport at the end of the movie.
Cecilia Roth had committed to star a theatre tour through Argentina when she got the offer from Pedro Almodóvar to star in the movie. Even though she felt awful for it, she ditched to play and fly to Spain to reunite with the director 11 years after their last collaboration.
This movie marks Antonio Banderas's 7th collaboration with Pedro Almodóvar and Penélope Cruz's 5th collaboration. However, this will be the first time they star in an Almodovar movie together.
Fajas wasn't such a mean character on the screenplay, but after a few days shooting, Pedro Almodóvar noticed that Carlos Areces was, using his comic instinct, making him meaner, because it was funnier like that. The director loved the change, so allowed it.