The main character, John Wilson, portrayed by Clint Eastwood, was based on legendary director John Huston; Jeff Fahey's Pete Verrill writer character was based on novelist Peter Viertel; George Dzundza's Paul Landers producer character was based on producer Sam Spiegel; Marisa Berenson's Kay Gibson character was based on Katharine Hepburn, and Richard Vanstone's Phil Duncan character was based on Humphrey Bogart.
Clint Eastwood agreed to do The Rookie (1990) in exchange for Warner Brothers letting him make his personal movie project, White Hunter Black Heart (1990).
This movie was entered into competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 1990. To attend its screenings there, Clint Eastwood halted production on "The Rookie (1990)" for five days. Reportedly, this cost an estimated $1.5 million. Also, while at Cannes, Eastwood fulfilled his life-long ambition of meeting Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, who had directed "Yojimbo (1961)," on which Sergio Leone's "A Fistful of Dollars (1964)," starring Eastwood, had been based.
Katharine Hepburn, lead actress of "The African Queen (1951)," contested the accuracy of this movie.