When Tracy Wright was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December 2009, her friends and colleagues contributed time and money to rush Trigger into production in January-February 2010 so the film could be completed as a final tribute to Tracy.
Bruce McDonald asked Daniel MacIvor to write a My Dinner with Andre-style screenplay that would be a sequel to Hard Core Logo, with Hugh Dillon and Callum Keith Rennie playing the roles. However, scheduling (among other reasons) kept it from moving forward. After some discussion, McDonald and MacIvor decided to rewrite the screenplay for two women, with Molly Parker and Tracy Wright in mind. Rennie now has a cameo in the film.
Executive producers Callum Keith Rennie and Hugh Dillon were supposed to play the lead roles when this was initially envisioned as a sequel to Hard Core Logo (1996). The script was later rewritten as a reunion for two women musicians.
Sarah Polley's last film before she quit acting to focus more on directing.