Nick Nolte admitted in an interview that he took a small injection of heroin in preparation for his role. He claims that in order to play such a character he required the feeling of addiction and what it is to be a heroin junkie.
Although Ralph Fiennes was not listed in the cast he did gain a credit in the technical assistance as Fine Arts Adviser.
The cast includes award winning filmmakers: the Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish) and two-time Palme d'Or winning director Emir Kusturica.
Neil Jordan had originally intended to name the film "Double Down" but changed his mind when he learned that there were other films being released with the same and/or similar titled.