Tilda Swinton doesn't appear on screen but is the voice of the auctioneer that Howard argues with over the phone.

The Safdie brothers were so insistent on shooting on 35mm film that they actually took a pay cut.

The Safdie Brothers wanted to make this film for several years, and prior to Good Time (2017), but couldn't get the project off the ground due to lack of financing. During that waiting period, Robert Pattinson contacted the brothers via e-mail and said he was interested to work with them after he randomly discovered the poster of actress Arielle Holmes covered in pink neon light from their previous film Heaven Knows What (2014) on the Internet. After they met with Pattinson, liking him and being inspired by his energy, the Safdies spontaneously started to write Good Time (2017) with him in mind. After the film's premiere in Cannes and the following critical success, the brothers found themselves getting calls from Hollywood executives with offers including a big-budget superhero movie, which they declined and instead secured financing for Uncut Gems.

The film was inspired by the Safdie Brothers' father's time working as a salesman/runner for a man also named Howard in the Manhattan Diamond District. The Safdie Brothers and their father are also Jewish and avid basketball fans.

Adam Sandler wore false teeth and a fake dark mole on his right cheek for the role.