Rachel Weisz was offered a large part in this film when she was only 14, but her parents would not allow her to do it.
This movie's lack of success led to the cancellation of Martin Scorsese's " The Last Temptation of Christ." Aidan Quinn and Christopher Walken were his intended stars. It was later resuscitated in 1988 with Willem Dafoe in the lead.
In an "Interview with Bruce Beresford" in 'Signet' magazine published on 15th May 1999, director Beresford said: "I think there are a few things in it that are interesting. But, I think there are so many things that are wrong. We never licked the script... we never really caught the friendship between David and Jonathan. There weren't enough scenes between them. And David, himself - I think Richard Gere was miscast. He is a wonderful actor, but he is much better in contemporary pieces."
Publicity for this picture reported that the biblical story of King David was a story from the bible that not even religious epic auteur Cecil B. DeMille had ever attempted to make.
Actress Cherie Lunghi co-starring in this biblical legend epic had at the time recently starred in another film based on a legend playing Guenevere in the King Arthur legend movie Excalibur (1981).