The project started a bidding war prior to production, with many rival studios wanting to acquire the picture. Warner Brothers won out in the end, partly due to their commitment to a theatrical release for the film.
Margot Robbie's first collaboration with director Emerald Fennell as an actor. She previously produced Fennell's first two feature films, Promising Young Woman (2020) and Saltburn (2023).
Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi previously starred in Luca Guadagnino's short film Chanel N°5: See You at 5 (2024), made for the Chanel No. 5 fragrance campaign in 2024, though they didn't share the screen in that project.
When Emerald Fennell cast her debut feature film, Promising Young Woman (2020), many believed the lead role fit the types of characters Margot Robbie had become known for playing at the time. Robbie, a producer on that film, revealed that the team felt casting a performer like Carey Mulligan, widely known for her work in period films, was a radical and right choice for the material. Here, Margot Robbie plays in a period film directed by Fennell, not unlike the projects Mulligan often takes.