A further 'Sting' movie was planned around the time of the production and release of this sequel. This film was intended to be prequel to The Sting (1973) and cover the early life of Henry Gondorff who was played by Paul Newman in the original. The prequel was to show him being mentored The Hustler (1961)-style by famed con man Soapy Smith. When 'The Sting II' failed at the box office, plans for this third 'Sting' movie were dropped.
Oliver Reed played the role of Doyle Lonnegan, which he turned down in The Sting (1973). Robert Shaw was cast instead.
Paul Newman and Robert Redford who played Henry Gondorff and Johnny Hooker in The Sting (1973) do not reprise their roles in this sequel. To fill their shoes, Jackie Gleason and Mac Davis played Fargo Gondorff and Jake Hooker. They are however, despite having similar names and the same surnames, not the same characters from the original movie.
The film takes place in 1940.
This movie's working title was 'The Next Sting'.