They approached Chuck Norris to star and he initially agreed but later had to pull out after the production was delayed due to financing problems.

Selin was eventually able to secure co-production financing from the U.S. for what became the most expensive film ever produced in Finland.

However, upon completion in 1986 the film was banned by the Finnish government, fearing that its anti-Soviet slant might damage bilateral relations.

[citation needed] Both Selin and Harlin both started Larmark Productions in order to finance many North American television projects.

In 2006, Selin re-teamed with Harlin to produce a biopic of the Finnish President Gustaf Mannerheim, but the budget projection spiraled, far eclipsing American Born, and coupled with problems with the Finnish government, again, the project was put on hold where it remains indefinitely.