Tony-award winning playwright David Henry Hwang makes a surprise appearance via a headshot insert. He gave his blessing for his likeness to be used.
The main character's name, Matilda Wong, is named after the character "Matilda" in the action movie, "The Professional", directed by Luc Besson. "Matilda" in that movie was played by a young Natalie Portman.
The title, "Red Thread", refers to a Chinese myth that a husband and wife are born into the world tied to each other with a red thread. They only then have to find each other amid the world's population to realize that they were meant to be together.