Although she'd starred in three theatrical movies and had made countless TV appearances in the 15 year prior to this movie, Dame Olivia Newton-John was insecure about her acting abilities and decided to enroll in acting training in preparation for the film (and in fact her character is also part of an acting workshop).
The movie's soundtrack was so successful that it went platinum.
After striking box office gold in Grease (1978), the 20th Century Fox studio re-teamed John Travolta and Dame Olivia Newton-John five years later for this romantic comedy. This was their second and final star teaming.
The movie was part of a 1980s cycle of Hollywood angelic comedies which had started with Heaven Can Wait (1978). The films included that movie and Two of a Kind (1983), The Devil and Max Devlin (1981), Defending Your Life (1991), Oh Heavenly Dog (1980), Kiss Me Goodbye (1982), The Heavenly Kid (1985), Made in Heaven (1987), Almost an Angel (1990) and Oh, God! (1977) and its two sequels. The phrase "Heaven Can Wait" forms part of the lyrics in Two of a Kind (1983)'s theme song "Twist of Fate" sung by Dame Olivia Newton-John.
Bill Conti was the original composer for this film, but he left the project as his original score was rejected by writer/director John Herzfeld. He was then subsequently replaced by composer Patrick Williams. Williams had been asked by Herzfeld and producers Joe Wizan and Roger M. Rothstein to create a melody based off Dame Olivia Newton-John's hit single "Twist of Fate" which was released just before the film. However this was done so late that 20th Century Fox was unable offer to preview screenings to the news media, and final prints were unavailable until a few days prior to the December 16, 1983 release. Meanwhile, Conti was allegedly unaware that he had been replaced. Lionel Newman, the senior vice president of music for 20th Century Fox said that Conti's dismissal was "amicable". Oddly enough, Conti's credit is retained on the back cover of the film's soundtrack album as well as a 1995 VHS Reissue and on the back cover of the film's DVD release.