Jeremy Renner was cast because of his resemblance to Jeffrey Dahmer and because not many actors wanted to portray the serial killer.
The crow which Dahmer traps in a box at his grandmother's house was actually a trained bird for film and television. It was credited in the cast as "Edgar Allen", a homage to horror author Edgar Allan Poe.
Director Kathryn Bigelow wanted to cast Jeremy Renner for Sgt William James in En tierra hostil (2008) in large part due to his performance in this film.
David Birke has written three films about real serial killers: this one about Jeffrey Dahmer, Gacy, el payaso asesino (2003) about John Wayne Gacy, and Freeway Killer (2010) about William Bonin.
In the film Gacy, el payaso asesino (2003), there is a scene where John Wayne Gacy's mother is asleep with the TV on in front of her. A scene from Dahmer can be heard playing on the TV in the background. Both films are written by David Birke.