Development
Von Trier originally developed the idea as a television series, but in February 2016, he announced that it would be a film.[10] After extensively researching serial killers, von Trier had a completed script by May 2016.[11] International sales rights for the film belong to TrustNordisk with von Trier's Zentropa producing.[10] Film i Väst partly financed the film, and the Copenhagen Film Fund provided €1.08 million in production subsidies.[10][12] The film is a co-production between France, Germany, Sweden, and Denmark.[10]
The film's epilogue, in which Jack goes to Hell, was suggested by Von Trier's co-writer, Jenle Hallund, and which Von Trier felt appropriate: "I thought that's a good idea because it's a long time since we've really visited Hell in films. Particularly the journey to Hell. We put it together from different conceptions, or whatever the word is, of Hell. The Elysian Fields is something from the Roman mythology. I'm quite sure that Hell doesn't look like what we have made for this film."[13] Von Trier also stated he was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock to give the film a "classical ending" in which Jack is punished: "Somehow I felt a little Hitchcock-like at the end of the film, with Jack hanging there above the abject depths. Never let the bad guy hang on his nails, as the audience won't care ... Psychopaths act out of an irrational certainty that they won't be caught. That's why the ending is like it is. It would be typical for me to let him live. But then I thought about good old Hitchcock and decided that this calls for a classical ending."[13]
Casting
On 2 November 2016, von Trier announced that Matt Dillon would play the film's lead role.[14] Announcements soon followed in February 2017 that Riley Keough and Sofie Gråbøl would also be joining the production[12] with Uma Thurman's participation being announced the following month.[15] The same month, von Trier described the film as celebrating "the idea that life is evil and soulless".[16]
Filming
Principal photography began in March 2017 outside Bengtsfors and Tösse in Dalsland, Sweden[3][17] and was shot in Copenhagen, Gribskov, Trollhättan, Peak District and Montemerano.[10][11] Dillon was initially influenced by American serial killer Ted Bundy, but his character soon became unique.[18] Von Trier split the filming into two parts to allow editing in between, something he had done before.[11] The film spent nearly a year in post-production, which included complicated special effects.[19][20][21]
