The film was based on a script that was set to be a sequel for Léon: The Professional (1994). The story was set to follow Natalie Portman's character Mathilda as she tracked down and killed characters that had wronged her and Leon. Due to rights issues with the studio behind the first film, it was canceled and the script was turned into this film.
In February of 2017 it was announced that Luc Besson was working on a prequel under the working title of "Colombiana 2".
The memory card being used at the beginning, which the young Cataleya swallows then regurgitates, is a SmartMedia card, manufactured by Toshiba in 1995. When the agent is wiping it off, the silver circle can be seen under his thumb. This is the write protect sticker. He then puts it in a floppy adapter which makes it readable by any PC with a 3.5" floppy drive.
When Cataleya rams into the police car, it is in a place outside New Orleans called Fat City. The bar, Uncle Larry's, was actually a real bar at the time but is no longer there. Also, a sign for Circle K briefly can be seen, then a split second later Brother's is seen; it's actually the same building. The gas station was under construction during filming, and Brother's had bought the Circle K franchise.