Stories from the set

The film was shot in Buenos Aires and New Orleans.

When Farhad tells Jess in the summer café about how badly Nikki is doing without her, the glass in Jess's hand keeps disappearing and reappearing.

After Ryan Gosling left the project, the lead role was offered to Brad Pitt, but he declined, and to Ben Affleck, who ultimately also left the project due to scheduling conflicts.

Emma Stone, Michelle Williams, Jessica Biel, Rose Byrne, Olivia Munn, and Kristen Stewart were considered for the role of Jess, but ultimately the role went to Margot Robbie.

The role of Farhad was offered to Artie Lang and Omid Jalili, but both actors declined.

Margot Robbie was vacationing with her brother on an island in Croatia when she got a call offering her an audition for the role of Jess. She arrived at the hotel by 6 a.m. Her flight was the same day. In 20 minutes she packed all her things, took a catamaran to the main island, and then took a bus to the airport. After waiting 6 hours at the airport, she finally flew to France, where she had to wait another 6 hours for a flight to New York. Upon arriving in New York, she discovered that her luggage was missing. In the end, without makeup, in denim shorts and a shirt, she still made it to the audition. Will Smith was late to that audition. When he walked in, he said he had come from Queens, to which Robbie said she had just flown in from an island in Croatia, yet still arrived on time. According to Robbie, she felt that in the end this helped her get the role.

To devise and stage the original pickpocketing moves and teach them to Will Smith, Margot Robbie and other actors, the directors brought in world-renowned expert Apollo Robbins, known to many as the "Gentleman Thief".