The movie and book are based on the life of an actual Western Lowland Gorilla named Ivan. The real Ivan did live at the B&I Amusement Center in Tacoma, WA for 27 years after being a pet for six years. When protests ceased the animals on display at the amusement center, Ivan went to live at Zoo Atlanta where he had a much different life.
The real Ivan lived in the B&I Mall in Tacoma.
Movie stars 3 Oscar winners: Angelina Jolie, Sam Rockwell, and Dame Helen Mirren, and 2 Oscar nominees: Bryan Cranston and Danny DeVito.
Set in the same shopping center depicted in Edward Scissorhands (1990), Southgate Shopping Center in Lakeland, FL.
Towards the end of the movie, Henrietta says, "Ain't nobody loves you better." Henrietta is voiced by singer Chaka Khan, and this line is a paraphrase of one of the lines from her well known song, "Ain't Nobody."