When Peter Hedges was developing the film he had no intention of casting his son Lucas Hedges in the titular role, and had already created a shortlist of other actors he was considering. It was Julia Roberts, who after seeing the younger Hedges in Manchester by the Sea (2016), insisted he be cast.
Prior to commencing this shoot, Lucas Hedges and Kathryn Newton spent the Thanksgiving holiday as guests at Julia Roberts' home where Julia entertained 22 guests around the dinner table.
Lucas Hedges and Kathryn Newton co-starred the year before in Lady Bird (2017) and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017), marking this movie their third collaboration.
The choice of Christmas Eve was a metaphorical setting of great strength for the movie, but due to the winter atmosphere, the team had to face harsh weather conditions. Producer Teddy Schwarzman remembers having to deal with a cyclonic snowstorm that paralyzed all roads in New York and Yonkers, where the team planned to shoot a scene. Julia Roberts, who has lived in New York for 18 years, says she has never experienced a winter on the East Coast equivalent to the one that hit the set for this film.
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