The part of Chief Williams was originally written as a generic cop, but Patrick Warburton conceived the idea that the officer was actually a frustrated actor, so his role was revised on-the-fly while they were shooting.
Jason Lee was originally attached to play Billy, and the part of Crystal Clemens (ultimately filled by Lee's Meu Nome é Earl (2005) costar Jaime Pressly) was slated to have been played by Julie Bowen.
Writer-director S. William Raee found story inspiration in the real-life kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart. One day he was struck by the notion, "What if her kidnapping was faked?"
Filmed in 2014.
Ursula Parker was the only choice for the role of Patty. Writer-director S. William Raee was a fan of the series Louie (2010) and first approached Parker's agents before the script was written.