Many of the cast and crew on Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009) reunited with director Werner Herzog to produce this film. Major examples include actors Michael Shannon, Brad Dourif and Irma P. Hall, cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger, and editor Joe Bini.
In 'Werner Herzog: A Guide for the Perplexed: Conversations with Paul Cronin,' Werner Herzog states that the casting of Grace Zabriskie was done as a homage to David Lynch, who was executive producer of the film.
Executive producer David Lynch had previously worked with Willem Dafoe in Wild at Heart (1990) and Brad Dourif in both Dune (1984) and Blue Velvet (1986). He has also worked with Grace Zabriskie on several projects including Twin Peaks (1990), Wild at Heart (1990) and Inland Empire (2006).
The film's official screening at the 2009 Venice Film Festival took place on Werner Herzog's 67th birthday.