Large parts of the film were filmed in two versions at the same time, one in Norwegian, the other in English, in order to secure international funding. See ALTERNATE VERSIONS section for greater detail.
In 2006, Olav Heyerdahl, Thor Heyerdahl's grandson, made the same voyage crossing the Pacific Ocean from Peru to Polynesia as a tribute for the original travel. It was shown in the documentary The Tangaroa Expedition (2007) (The Tangaroa Expedition).
The film's producer, Jeremy Thomas, had wanted to make the film since 1996 and was granted the rights to the story by Thor Heyerdahl before the latter's death in 2002.
The filmmakers decided to shoot the ocean scenes on open water, rather than on a set.
Norway's most expensive movie to date (2015)