After talking to a parasitologist,[7] writer Simon Donald based his parasite on ichneumon wasps, which lay their eggs in hosts.

[9][10] American actor Stanley Tucci appears in his first British television role as Detective Chief Inspector Morton from London's Metropolitan Police, who has flown to the peaceful close-knit community of Fortitude as the local sheriff, played by Richard Dormer, investigates a violent murder.

[11] The Killing star Sofie Gråbøl plays Hildur Odegard, the governor of Fortitude, in her first UK television drama role.

The critical consensus reads "Fortitude's fine cast, deliberate pacing, and chilling setting provide the show with more than enough of the titular quality.

When FX broadcast the series in Indonesia on 19 February 2017, the violent scenes led to the banning of the channel by Indonesian authorities from 10 to 14 April 2017.