Omar Sharif was furious when he learned that Eli Wallach was paid $25,000 per week, more than Sharif was paid for the entire film. Wallach had taken his role after a London play he was scheduled to appear in collapsed, and he was in urgent need of a quick payday.
Set in Asia, the movie was shot in Yugoslavia.
Genghis Khan (1965) was a favorite guilty pleasure for Stanley Kubrick, and is thought to be directly responsible for Michael Hordern being chosen to narrate Barry Lyndon (1975).
A 70mm blow-up version was released in West Germany.