Because of the unusual nature of the script, Gore Verbinski was able to attract Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt to the project for the bargain basement amount of $15 million.
Throughout the film, Jerry (Brad Pitt) (and others) is seen to carry his handgun inside the front of the waistband but without a holster. Appropriate to the movie, this is known as "Mexican carry".
James Gandolfini reportedly lost 35 pounds for his role, all of which he had to gain back before shooting re-commenced on the upcoming season of The Sopranos (1999) because producer David Chase believed that "The Sopranos" audience would not like a "skinny" Tony (Soprano).