While promoting the film in June 2016, star Vera Farmiga was still suffering from a swollen lymph node she received during filming, due to the intense screaming she had to perform. Due to technical challenges, she would sometimes do 50 takes in a row, all featuring her screaming.
James Wan was offered a "life-altering" amount of money in order to direct The Fate of the Furious (2017). However, he turned that opportunity down to direct this film instead. "I feel rejuvenated to tell a scary story one more time," Wan wrote on Instagram.
The remaining members of the Hodgson family visited the set. Frances O'Connor, who portrays their late mother, refused to meet them, as she feared it would affect her performance.
On the first day of shooting, a priest was brought in to bless the set.
Some have claimed that the real Janet Hodgson is a gifted ventriloquist or has the power to manipulate voices, and she admitted to faking some events. She revealed that around two percent of the haunting was phony during an interview with The Telegraph.