The film was originally supposed to take place in a completely weightless environment. The technical difficulties prompted a re-write of the script so that when the Palomino ties up the Cygnus gravity returned.
Like many other science-fiction films released after Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), which had generated a fortune in licensed merchandise, this film had a lot of tie-in merchandise. It didn't sell well. Vintage toys from the film are highly sought-after, and often sell for huge amounts of money.
V.I.N.CENT. was originally supposed to have more elaborate electronic eyes, based on electronic stock ticker-type billboards, which would have given him a greater range of facial expressions. The electro-mechanical eyes didn't work properly, and the effect was abandoned at the beginning of principal photography.
This film and Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) (released 13 days prior) were among the last Hollywood films to include an overture, once a common feature of "major" studio releases. This film's overture is usually cut from television broadcasts, though it's included in showings on Turner Classic Movies and the DVD release. When the film initially received a Blu-ray release from the Disney Movie Club service, it lacked the overture by mistake. This oversight was corrected in future printings of the disc, but unless one buys it directly from the service, there's no way to tell the difference between both discs if one buys it secondhand.
John Hughes of Tau Films (and formerly of Rhythm & Hues) created the "green grid" sequence that appears in the opening titles. It was the longest computer graphics sequence ever to appear in a film at that time.
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