Trivia

Arnold Schwarzenegger spent three months learning to speak Russian. Jim Belushi spent two weeks working at a Chicago police district headquarters.

The film crew applied for a permit to film in the Red Square but the application was denied, so the crew had to "sneak-film" the Red Square scenes. They dressed Arnold Schwarzenegger up in the uniform and filmed him as though making an amateur/home movie with just a couple of crew people present.

Walter Hill, thinking Arnold Schwarzenegger was too muscular, asked him to lose ten pounds for his role, and Jim Belushi to gain ten pounds.

The film is dedicated to its stunt coordinator, Bennie E. Dobbins. Dobbins died of a heart attack on the set while staging the film's snow fight scene in Ramsau, Austria.

In an attempt to best convey to Arnold Schwarzenegger how he should capture the essence of his character, Walter Hill suggested that he watch Greta Garbo's performance in Ninotchka (1939) and emulate her character. Schwarzenegger complied and, according to Hill, got a handle on his character right away.

Marjorie Bransfield: , Jim Belushi's second wife, as a waitress.

Sven-Ole Thorsen: as Nikolai, who puts the heated stone in Danko's hand at the beginning.

Peter Jason: as a Newsreader.