According to writer and director Andrew Niccol, the filmmakers worked with actual gunrunners in the making of this movie. The tanks lined up for sale were real, and belonged to a Czech arms dealer, who had to have them back to sell to another country. They used a real stockpile of over three thousand vz. 58 from Czech production, which look very similar to the Russian AK-47, because it was cheaper than getting prop guns.
No U.S. studio would back this movie. International finances were secured instead.
Before shooting the scene where tanks were lined up for sale, the filmmakers had to warn N.A.T.O., lest they thought a real war was being started when they saw satellite images of the set.
The character of Andre Baptiste is loosely based on famous warlord and ex-leader of Liberia, Charles Taylor.
Yuri Orlov is a composite of five real arms dealers.
Weston Cage: Nicolas Cage's son is the young Mi-24 Hind helicopter mechanic Vladimir. In the movie, Yuri speaks to the mechanic in Russian: "Son, get off there before you get hurt."