The series was the result of a process lasting more than nine years for series creators Alexander Eik and Linda May Kallestein.

Although marketed as being faithful to historical events, the creators acknowledged that everything taking place in private and personal spaces was fictionalized.

Filming took place in Norway and the Czech Republic between December 2018 and June 2019, with the series co-produced with Czech company Sirena Films and Irish company Ripple World Pictures.

The production received 27 million Norwegian kroner in incentive funding from the Norwegian Film Institute and 1 million euros in production support from Creative Europe Media.

Atlantic Crossing became the first Norwegian production ever aired on American public broadcaster PBS, premiering on Masterpiece on April 4, 2021.

The series won the International Emmy Award for Best TV Movie/Mini-Series in 2021 and the Golden Bird Prize/Jury's Special Prize at the Seoul International Drama Awards, while also being nominated for Best Series and Best Screenplay at Cannesseries 2020.

Norwegian TV critics were largely negative, with Dagbladet calling it a 'meaningless soap opera' and VG describing it as 'tame, stiff and flat', while international outlets like the Wall Street Journal called it 'a masterpiece'.

The series sparked a major media debate in Norway, led by royal biographer Tor Bomann-Larsen, over accusations that it grossly exaggerated Crown Princess Märtha's political influence on President Roosevelt regarding the Lend-Lease Act, with American historians and Missy LeHand's biographer Kathryn Smith also criticizing its portrayal of historical figures.

The series was initially marketed as an 'incredible and true story,' but after backlash NRK changed the description to 'inspired by' rather than 'based on' real events, with NRK and production company Cinenord each denying responsibility for the original marketing text.