Alongside his portrayal of Lionel, Paul Mescal is also one of the film's executive producers, marking his first producing credit on a film.
The project was initially revealed in October 2021, but because director Oliver Hermanus and lead actors Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor struggled to synchronise their schedules, filming did not commence until February 2024.
Chris Cooper, who portrays the older Lionel, also narrates the audiobook of the original short story that served as the basis for the film.
This is Oliver Hermanus's first feature film since The Endless River not photographed by cinematographer Jamie Ramsay, who had lensed all of his earlier films. The only other occasion on which Ramsay did not serve as director of photography was the 2024 miniseries Mary and George, for which Hermanus directed the first three episodes.
