It is based on the 2014 biography The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace by Jeff Hobbs.

[7] In January 2019, it was announced that Ejiofor would direct the film (after Antoine Fuqua and his wife Lela saw his directorial debut, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind).

[18] In May 2024, Republic Pictures, which is also handling worldwide sales, acquired North American distribution rights to the film, scheduling it for a limited theatrical release in the United States across 500 theaters on August 16, 2024.

The website's consensus reads: "Chiwetel Ejiofor acquits himself well as a writer-director with Rob Peace, a solid and steady drama that enlivens standard clichés with compelling performances.

"[21] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 61 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.