Justin Chon worked closely with a speech coach as he developed his character, whose accent is based on three actual people.
In the U.S., the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 does not apply to internationally adopted children who turned 18 before that year, leaving them at risk for deportation. If the Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2021 passes, it will allow internationally adopted children to be U.S. citizens regardless of age.
Justin Chon consulted with five adoptees who read drafts for the film. When he had an edit, he screened it for some adoptees and then received notes from them and changed the edit through the post-production of the film to make sure that they felt comfortable with it.
Blue Bayou was filmed and set in New Orleans, Louisiana.
A Bayou is defined as a marshy or slowly flowing body of water such as a stream, river inlet or estuary.