Filming for Play Dirty began in March 2024 in Sydney, New South Wales, including Sydney Harbour and Ku-ring-gai locations, though filming in New York City is not prominently verified.
Director Shane Black and actor Robert Downey Jr., who previously collaborated on Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) and Iron Man 3 (2013), were initially set to reunite on this project. Downey later dropped out for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Mark Wahlberg.
Director and writer Shane Black's original 1989 screenplay draft for Lethal Weapon 2 was titled Play Dirty. He regarded it as his most intense work despite the studio rejecting it.
The film is based on the Parker novel series by Donald E. Westlake (as Richard Stark). While the storyline features a crime syndicate banner, there is no verifiable source naming it "The Westlake Group."
The first film adapted from the Parker novels series, written by Richard Stark, without being inspired by a precise novel.