In April 2017, it was reported that Toni Collette and Thomas Haden Church had been cast in the originally titled film, Shriver, with Michael Maren writing and directing based on Chris Belden's 2013 novel of the same name. That following month, Whoopi Goldberg and Giancarlo Esposito joined the cast. In 2019, Michael Shannon joined the cast as the lead Shriver and afterwards the production was put on hold while Maren received cancer treatment. Shannon got on board after Maren attended Shannon's play at the A Red Orchid Theatre and pitched the role over dinner. Maren had Philip Seymour Hoffman in mind to play Shriver before even writing the screenplay and before Hoffman's death. Kate Hudson signed on to star in the film later that year. Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Jimmi Simpson, Zach Braff, Mark Boone Junior, Aja Naomi King, Adhir Kalyan, and Benjamin King joined the cast in 2020, replacing Collette, Church, Goldberg, and Esposito.
