Stories from the set

Specifically for the filming of the epic, Orlando Bloom gained 9 extra kilograms. While working on the film, Orlando caught a cold and was ill for about a month. The unfortunate actor also suffered a serious hand injury while filming the battle scenes.

In reality, Baldwin, the leper king, died in 1185 at the age of 24, a year before the events of the film begin.

The screenplay for the film is 260 pages long. That is roughly twice the length of an average Hollywood screenplay.

About 14,000 costumes were sewn for the filming of the picture. The chain mail was produced in China, while the clothing was sewn in Thailand and Turkey.

Three siege towers were built, each weighing 17 tons. Four catapults were also constructed.

About 800 special effects were used in the picture (for comparison: the film "Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith" (2005) has about 2,200).

With the permission of the King of Morocco — Mohammed VI — the filmmakers hired about fifteen hundred Moroccan soldiers as extras.

Originally Hans Zimmer was supposed to compose the music for the film, but he was replaced by Harry Gregson-Williams. Notably, a couple of weeks later Gregson-Williams was replaced by Zimmer to compose the music for the film «Madagascar» (2005).

In the film, Saladin's army attacks only one section of the wall of Jerusalem. In reality, however, Saladin's troops first besieged the northwestern and then the northern side.

All scenes featuring Edward Norton were shot in two weeks.