Location shooting for "Zulu" took place in Natal, South Africa, for 14 weeks in 1963. According to his 2011 autobiography "The Elephant to Hollywood", Caine had been signed to a seven-year contract by Joseph E. Levine, whose Embassy Films was distributing "Zulu". After the return of the cast to England and the completion of the film, Levine released him from the contract, telling him, "I know you're not, but you gotta face the fact that you look like a queer on screen." Levine gave his contract to his "Zulu" co-star James Booth.