'Rock the Kasbah' trivia and fun facts

Shia LaBeouf was originally cast, but ultimately backed out.

The title of the movie is a reference to the song of the same name by the punk band The Clash. The song tells a fable-like story of a king who bans rock music and is met with defiance by the population; the song's story was influenced by Iran's ban on Western music in 1979. The song does not appear in the movie because the filmmakers were denied the rights to use it.

Was filmed in Morocco and Afghanistan.