The first solo directorial effort by Joel Coen. All of his previous films have been co-directed with his brother Ethan Coen, though Ethan was uncredited as director until 2004 due to DGA rules about directing duos.
The whole movie was shot on a soundstage. Everything was built. Except for an element of the last shot in the movie, there isn't a single exterior shot.
According to cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel, nearly all of the costumes and sets were black-and-white except for a couple of dresses worn by Frances McDormand. He also had some shadows painted directly onto the sets to make the lighting seem otherworldly.
Shot in 36 days, which was the shortest shooting Joel Coen has done. Most of the shoot was completed several months after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To give the film a look "untethered from reality," the entire production was shot on sound stages.