In an interview, Priyanka Chopra Jonas said that the role of the main antagonist was written for a man, but the director changed the role and the script upon meeting her.
After scathing reviews poured in from critics and fans alike, Dwayne Johnson tweeted that the film wasn't made for critics.
Zac Efron's character Matt Brody is rumored to be based on Ryan Lochte after Lochte's scandal when he lost sponsorship deals, but Efron stated to Jimmy Kimmel on Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2003) that he and Gordon came up with this character entirely on their own.
One of the names that Mitch (Dwayne Johnson), calls Brody (Zac Efron) is "High School Musical". Efron got his breakout acting role as the lead in the High School Musical series.