Writer and director Ryan Stockstad has worked as a hospice caregiver and based some of the film's details on his own experiences caring for dying patients.
The part of Henry was written without gender or ethnicity in mind. The production accepted submissions from any actor who fit the basic requirements of having an expressive face and being able to realistically play "elderly". Over 100 actors submitted, with close to 40 being invited to audition. It was initially assumed that Bobby Reed might appear too young for the role, but everyone involved in the casting process felt his audition was too strong to ignore and he won the part.
Ryan Stockstad was inspired to write the film's script in early 2022 when a friend of his died after a short battle with cancer. When he approached Darielle Deigan about starring in the film, she explained that she also was grieving the death of someone close to her. Making the film was a cathartic experience for them.
The book Vita can be seen reading is 'Blockbuster Parenting: How Epic Storytelling can Transform your Relationships with Kids & Teens' by Kyle Erwin. Kyle was a friend of director Ryan Stockstad's who died unexpectedly in 2018.
The project was created for Just Scare Me: Round 12. Just Scare me is a filmmaking accountability group where participants have two months to make a short horror film. The event ran from February 23, 2022 to April 23, 2022, and the finished films screened on April 24, 2022.
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