This movie, like A Fistful of Dollars (1964), is a retelling of the story in Yojimbo (1961), which is itself based on Dashiell Hammett's 1927 novel "Red Harvest".
Walter Hill later said that he and Bruce Willis "were not close when we did the film", but "I liked working with him. It was impersonal. Classic, 'I know what you mean. You want me to be a Bogart, Mitchum kind of guy' and I said 'Exactly. Let it happen.' He then took that and gave what I thought was a very good performance. I always sensed there was a kind of core resentment that Bruce felt he should be more appreciated for his talents. At the same time I think there is a limitation that he does certain things better than others, and he hasn't always chosen so wisely."
The weapon of choice for John Smith is the government model Colt 1911 A1 .45 caliber semi-automatic, of which he carries a brace in a double shoulder holster rig. In one scene, it is evident that he also carries upwards of twenty-five spare 7-round magazines for his pistols.
Walter Hill considered this a "free adaptation" of Yojimbo (1961) rather than a remake, calling the idea of remaking Akira Kurosawa's film "a foolish endeavor."
New Line Cinema wanted to remake Yojimbo (1961) as a sci-fi film in the vein of Mad Max (1979) and Escape from New York (1981), but Walter Hill insisted on setting it in Depression-era Texas, seeing the rustic landscape as more fitting of his experience directing Westerns.
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