Brian Banks, the subject of this movie, went to Long Beach Poly High School and was a part of the prestigious Jackrabbit football team. Brian was also a part of the team that played against De La Salle. This game was featured in the movie When the Game Stands Tall (2014).
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge ordered Wanetta Gibson to pay back the $1.5 million compensation she received, plus an additional $1.1 million in fees, including for making a false claim and court-related costs
The real Brian Banks and the real Justin Brooks were on set for most of the filming in Memphis, Tennessee. Their presence helped make the film more accurately portray this true story. Brian Banks would even have to leave during the filming of some scenes because it was difficult to relive many of the painful moments in his life depicted in the film.
Even though the film is set in Long Beach, California, it was filmed in Memphis, Tenn. Director Tom Shadyac teaches film at the University of Memphis, and in 2018, he opened a climbing gym and community center in the Soulsville neighborhood of South Memphis. Shadyac's family has a long-running history of leadership at St. Jude's Hospital in Memphis, founded by Danny Thomas, who was a family friend of the Shadyacs.