Pete Chatmon was Khan's first choice to direct. Chatmon pulled out due to other commitments.
The character of Seth was written with Dorian Missick in mind to star.
Drake was written with Quran Pender in mind to star.
The production had a close relationship with the New York Police Department. While Producer Rafick Khan had arranged for police to be on hand for several days, the production had incidents with regular patrol cars showing up on set believing some crime was happening. These incidents include:
A SWAT team staging area on the same dead-end street a scene was being filmed. The SWAT team captain ordered that production be halted and Behind The Scenes crew stop filming until they commenced their raid, a few blocks away.
While filming a driving scene between the Regan and Pierce characters, a drive by shooting had occurred in the next neighborhood, several blocks away. Witnesses reported the assailants were escaping in a silver BMW sedan, the same make and model as the screen car that day. Police canvassing the neighborhoods stumbled upon the set, a dead end street, but didn't notice the film crew or the police officers that had been assigned to the production that day. As a result, the officers rushed the screen car with guns drawn. No one was hurt and the officers assigned to the production quickly resolved the incident.
Two crew members were arrested when they left set to smoke weed. They were subsequently fired.
Three main actors were arrested during pre-production. Another minor role actor was arrested on the last day of filming. Because of that, Khan had to grab Jaiden Kaine, who was an extra that day, and give him the larger role.
Nine of the speaking minor role characters had to have the actors portraying them replaced the day of filming. Reasons ranged from one actor not showing up in correct dress wardrobe, another actor being arrested on his way to set (this was discovered a week later. No one from the production could get into contact with him during the day of shooting so Khan selected an extra to tackle the role.) Other actors just randomly failed to show up to set and return phone calls.