[2] Ley Line Entertainment, FirstGen Content and Cor Cordium produce the project, which has a cast that includes Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi, Will Poulter, Diego Calva and Sasha Calle.
[3] Lee is keen for the three of them to build a new life together in San Diego, but Julius decides to travel to Las Vegas instead, where he finds employment in a casino and meets Henry, a male co-worker.
Meanwhile, Muriel embarks on a secret life of her own back in California, gambling on racehorses and discovering a love she never thought possible after meeting a female neighbor, Sandra.
[4] Producer Peter Spears and director Daniel Minahan announced in July 2021 that they were developing the film with Tim Headington and his production company Ley Line Entertainment, and that Bryce Kass would be adapting the novel by Shannon Pufahl.
The film's executive producers are screenwriter Bryce Kass, Alvaro Valente, Christine Vachon and Mason Plotts for Killer Films, Nate Kamiya and David Darby for Ley Line Entertainment, Randal Sandler, Claude Amadeo and Chris Triana for FirstGen, and Jennifer Westphal and Joe Plummer for Wavelength, along with Lauren Shelton, Jeffrey Penman, Jacob Elordi, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Teddy Schwarzman and John Friedberg.
[9] In October 2024, Sony Pictures Classics acquired distribution rights to the film in North and Latin America, Turkey, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, India, Italy, Australia and New Zealand.
[10] A Variety article dated October 23, 2024, drawn from conversations with SPC co-president Michael Barker, mentioned the film as being a part of the company's slate for the following year.
"[22] Christian Zilko of IndieWire gave the film a grade of A-, praising the writing, cinematography, and direction: "Bryce Kass's script (based on Shannon Pufahl's novel of the same name) straddles an ideal line between sentimentality and bitterness, while [director] Minahan and cinematographer Luc Montpellier shoot everything from torrid sex scenes to Christmas Eve moonlight strolls with the elegance that it deserves.”[23] Nicolas Rapold of the Financial Times wrote that "Minahan and his cast don't reduce Julius's or Muriel's affairs to a vehicle for prestige tragedy or steamy entertainment.
"[24] Meanwhile, in a more dissenting review, Pete Hammond of Deadline Hollywood contends that too many plot developments are interwoven "throughout this disjointed movie, which can't seem to decide which thread to follow or which character to focus on, and so it does it all.
In a post on Instagram, Kramar said: “To be a part of this project, which has everything to do with queer lives and the ongoing pursuit of self, is a privilege.”[26] In addition, Daisy Edgar-Jones has mentioned that the soundtrack for the film also includes a cover version of the 1950s song Mr.