The film was released 200 years after the Peterloo Massacre.
Approximtey 90% of the crowd during the sequence at St. Peter's Field was digitally duplicated and created; in reality, there were 200 extras. The sequence was filmed at Tilbury Port, and many of the buildings were also added in post-production, re-created from historical records.
The character of Samuel Bamford uses more Lancashire dialect than other characters. The real Samuel Bamford published books on the Lancashire dialect as well as on political matters.
The speech delivered by Rory Kinnear in London was filmed in Gainsborough Old Hall, Lincolnshire, and was written by Kinnear himself.
The film was selected to be screened in the main competition section of the 75th Venice International Film Festival. The film received its UK premiere on 10/17/18, as part of the BFI London Film Festival, in Manchester. The screening marks the first time the festival has held a premiere outside London. Mike Leigh said he was delighted that the film would be premiered "where it happened."