Sir Laurence Olivier first suggested Tom Baker to be cast as Grigori Rasputin. Olivier was the director of the National Theatre in England; Baker was a member of the company.
The movie includes many historical inaccuracies. When Robert K. Massie initially researched the source novel, the Soviet government would only authorize viewing of "approved" materials. After the Soviet Union fell apart in 1991, documents that had been hidden from the public could be fully examined and researched.
The director deliberately cast unfamiliar leads so the audience would focus on the storytelling.
The movie could not be shown on television in the U.K. for many years because of a copyright problem.
When the film was made in 1970, the public still widely believed that the British government had refused to accept the Romanovs. The truth emerged in 1983; the British government had reluctantly agreed to accept the family in March 1917, but King George V pressured the government to withdraw its offer of asylum the following month, concerned it could spark civil unrest in the UK. France also declined to accept the family, and only Kaiser Wilhelm II tried to help the Romaovs after the October Revolution.