Stock footage from the film Nuova Guinea, l'isola dei cannibali (1974) was used for the native scenes.
In the first draft, Claudio Fragasso had followed the idea of an entire Third World made up of an army of zombies, who the armed forces of the industrialized nations would have had to fight. However, the script had to be altered considerably due to budget limitations.
The Besòs Power Plant in Barcelona, Spain, was used as the Hope Center Chemical Factory in the film.
This was the first time that actress Margie Newton played the leading role. Before that, she was cast in supporting roles for La vedova del trullo (1979), The Iron Hand of the Mafia (1980), and The Last Hunter (1980). She was so nervous to play the lead that she was unable to sleep to begin with. The first scenes shot show this as her eyes show noticeable fatigue than in the later scenes where she became more comfortable in the starring role.