The Paramount Pictures studio wanted director Dave Thomas to go back and re-shoot some scenes before its limited release in 1989, but in the intervening two years, star John Travolta had gained over thirty pounds in weight, which prevented any new scenes being shot.
Stars John Travolta and Kelly Preston first met on the set of this movie and later married on September 12, 1991.
The movie was shot in late 1987 and shelved by its Paramount Pictures studio for some two years before it was first released in 1989. According to the book 'The Espionage Filmography' (2001) by Paul Mavis, this film was ''shot in 1987 [and] . . . sat on the shelf until Paramount finally decided to test market it. And they pulled it. Immediately.''
According to his podcast show, Gilbert Gottfried auditioned for a part. Although he didn't specify which part, it is most likely the role of Mr. Smith.
First of six feature film collaborations of future husband and wife cast members Kelly Preston and John Travolta where the pair both appeared in the same movie. The pictures are [in order]: 'The Experts' (1989), 'Welcome to Hollywood' (1998), 'Battlefield Earth' (2000), 'Old Dogs' (2009), 'From Paris with Love' (2010) and 'Gotti' (2018).