In this movie's story, the pirates are descendants of the French Buccaneers of Hispaniola. The secret enclave of them has been in existence since it was established by Jean-David Nau a.k.a. François l'Olonnais (c. 1635 - c. 1668) during the seventeenth century. L'Olonnais was a real-life pirate who was active in the Caribbean Sea during the 1660s. The pirate leader played by David Warner is called John David Nau, named after their legendary ancestor.
The person played by Sir Michael Caine was called Blair Maynard. The character has the same last name as the Royal Navy Captain Robert Maynard R.N. (c. 1684 - January 4, 1751), First Lieutenant of the H.M.S. Pearl, who killed the legendary pirate Blackbeard in a fight. Such a connection is referred to in this movie's story when the pirates make such an association with the same last names.
The filming location for this movie, the secret modern pirate island setting, was the volcanic island of Antigua in the West Indies. Key location filming on this island took place at a region known as Indian Creek. Here, huts, trails, and a village were constructed in a mango grove, to create the pirates' hideaway society.
The fictional vessel, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter "New Hope" was portrayed by the real-life U.S. Coast Guard cutter "Dauntless" (W.M.E.C.-624). This movie is one of two movies in which she appeared, the other being Licence to Kill (1989). The Dauntless (W.M.E.C.-624) used to deploy out of Florida, but now is home ported in Galveston, Texas.