Boyle and McGregor had not worked together since 1997's A Life Less Ordinary, when McGregor was passed over in favour of Leonardo DiCaprio for the lead role in Boyle's big screen adaptation of Alex Garland's novel, The Beach.
Boyle dan McGregor tidak bekerja bersama-sama sejak tahun 1997 Hidup Kurang Biasa, ketika McGregor telah melewati mendukung Leonardo DiCaprio untuk peran utama dalam Boyle layar lebar adaptasi dari Alex Garland's novel, Pantai.