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.
Nicolas Cage shaved his head for the film, which is the first time for Cage to be bald in a movie.
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.
This is the 5th collaboration between Nicolas Cage and Xander Berkeley.
Gabe Polsky got the other producers from Bad lieutenant: Escale Nouvelle-Orléans (2009) and Joe (2013) to work on this movie.