The expedition that this films centers around, while populated with fictional characters, is based on a real expedition, ordered by President of Texas Mirabeau Lamar, to annex New Mexico to the Republic of Texas in 1841. The use of black and white beans to decide who to execute and who to spare is borrowed the Mier expedition, which took place the following year.

Jonny Lee Miller plays a role previously played by Jon Voight in the unofficial sequel Return to Lonesome Dove (1993)(TV). At the time of this films broadcast, Miller was married to Voigt's daughter Angelina Jolie.