Most of the characters in the film, including Joan's Captains, were real historical people. Giles de Rais (Vincent Cassel) was a real person who, after the war, and Joan's death, retired to his lands. Many years later, he was arrested for the murder of more than one hundred young boys and was executed. Some historians believe that his crimes became the basis for the French fairy tale "Bluebeard", about a rich man who murders his wives and hides their bodies in his grand house.
Kathryn Bigelow refused to direct when Luc Besson insisted that Milla Jovovich, his wife at the time, play the lead character.
Kathryn Bigelow filed suit in California against Luc Besson for plagiarizing historical research that she had done when she was involved in the project. Besson settled with her amicably out of court.
Jack Nicholson was considered for the role of The Conscience. Milla Jovovich said, "I'm glad it wasn't him. He's an incredible actor, but it's Hoffman I want to work with."
When Kathryn Bigelow was attached to direct she had cast Sinéad O'Connor as Joan of Arc and Sir Sean Connery as The Conscience.