The production recycled virtually all of the $20 million worth of sets, costumes, props, and extras from Caligula (1979), when it was feared that the latter would never be released due to numerous pending lawsuits. In the opening credits, there is a legal statement acknowledging this: "Certain elements of the sets and decorations created for the film Caligula by Danilo Donati have been used in the production of this film without his consent."