Nicolas Cage shaved his head for the film, which is the first time for Cage to be bald in a movie.
This is the 5th collaboration between Nicolas Cage and Xander Berkeley.
The second collaboration between Gabe Polsky and Nicolas Cage as Polsky produced Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009).
The film was shot in 19 days on location in northern Montana. According to written articles and testimony, the filmmakers worked with a herd of 600 buffalo managed by the Blackfeet Indian reservation and dealt with hostile weather and challenging shooting conditions.
Tye Sheridan and Alex Wolff were considered for the role of Will as they worked with Cage before but director Gable Polsky wanted a younger actor.