According to an interview with director Cozzi the movie wasn't planned as a sequel for Hercules (1983). He was asked by the producers Golan and Globus to film scenes for the nearly unwatchable "The seven magnificent gladiators" to save it. After they saw, what he filmed they asked him to write a story around the scenes and make a few more with Lou Ferrigno, not telling him that he was involved in a sequel for "Hercules" (1983).