This movie, like A Fistful of Dollars (1964), is a retelling of the story in Yojimbo (1961), which is itself based on Dashiell Hammett's 1927 novel "Red Harvest".
Walter Hill later said that he and Bruce Willis "were not close when we did the film", but "I liked working with him. It was impersonal. Classic, 'I know what you mean. You want me to be a Bogart, Mitchum kind of guy' and I said 'Exactly. Let it happen.' He then took that and gave what I thought was a very good performance. I always sensed there was a kind of core resentment that Bruce felt he should be more appreciated for his talents. At the same time I think there is a limitation that he does certain things better than others, and he hasn't always chosen so wisely."
Walter Hill considered this a "free adaptation" of Yojimbo (1961) rather than a remake, calling the idea of remaking Akira Kurosawa's film "a foolish endeavor."
The weapon of choice for John Smith is the government model Colt 1911 A1 .45 caliber semi-automatic, of which he carries a brace in a double shoulder holster rig. In one scene, it is evident that he also carries upwards of twenty-five spare 7-round magazines for his pistols.
James Remar was Walter Hill's original choice for the role of Hickey, but the studio chose Christopher Walken for the part.