Ansel Faraj gave the script to Linden Chiles as a Christmas present, informing him that he had to play the father role. When Chiles inquired about the nature of the role, Faraj said "You're a crazy old man who lives with his son in a crumbling mansion, and you used to be on TV," to which Chiles enthusiastically responded: "Oh, kinda like me!"
The script was much more violent in its depictions of Edwin's and Jack's mutilations, and Ansel Faraj originally wanted the violence to be in the manner of a "Grand Guignol" stage show. However when filming began, Faraj decided to tone down the film's more violent aspects, as he felt that this would make the characters less sympathetic.