The British Daisy Edgar-Jones had to work closely with dialect coach Francie Brown in order to master the southern American accent for her role as Kya.
The song that Chase sings to Kya in bed is "Long Black Veil," a 1959 Lefty Frizzell folk ballad about a man who refuses to give an alibi when charged for a murder he didn't commit.
On the film's unexpected success, Reese Witherspoon said "This movie wasn't on a lot of people's radars --- and it's counter-programming, I know --- but it's a return to real filmmaking. It's a heart-and-soul experience on film with beautiful sets and beautiful costumes and wonderful actors. It's almost nostalgic for what you wanted to see in the summer."
Daisy Edgar-Jones (Kya) auditioned with a self-recorded tape she filmed on the set of her series War of the Worlds (2019).
Delia Owens, a zoologist, grew up in Thomasville, Georgia, and mostly lived in or near wilderness. She received a Bachelor of Science in zoology in the University of Georgia and a PhD in animal behavior from the University of California, Davis. She has stated that knew she had always wanted to be a writer however she decided on a career in science. After spending most of her life as an academic exploring African wildlife behavioral ecology, Owens released her debut novel, Where the Crawdads Sing, in 2018; it topped The New York Times Fiction Best Sellers of 2019 and The New York Times Fiction Best Sellers of 2020 for 32 weeks. According to critics, the book drew considerable inspiration from Owens' life.
Delia Owens: The author of the novel is seen in the courtroom sitting on the front row behind Tom when Patti is testifying about Chase's shell necklace.