Director Werner Herzog wanted Mario Adorf as captain of the ship, but Adorf refused to do the takes that involved the ship drifting throughout the rapids. Eventually, six men besides Herzog himself volunteered to do it. Of the six, three were wounded; one had two broken ribs.
The production is documented by the film Burden of Dreams (1982).
Director Werner Herzog destroyed all the footage of Jason Robards and Mick Jagger (Herzog has said that he never keeps the outtakes and unused footage of all of his films). When he wanted to use some of that footage in his film Mein liebster Feind - Klaus Kinski (1999) (My Best Fiend - Klaus Kinski)), there remained only what had been included in documentarian Les Blank's film Burden of Dreams (1982).
Was shot in English, since many of the actors on the set couldn't speak German.
A real 340 ton steam ship was moved over the mountain with a bulldozer without the use of special effects.
Jack Nicholson was originally set to star in "Fitzcarraldo" but left production.