: The title is inspired by a real-life 1942 incident where the U.S. military fired anti-aircraft guns at an unidentified object over L.A., which later fueled decades of UFO theories.

: Actors underwent a three-week Marine boot camp. The film is widely praised for its accurate depiction of Marine tactics and "pro-military" tone.

: A veteran Marine Staff Sergeant (Eckhart) leads a platoon into Santa Monica to rescue stranded civilians before a scheduled carpet-bombing of the city.