Although originally envisioned as a zombie-threat movie, budget restraints forced the production team to rewrite the plot.
Sound designer Sean Warren was originally slated to play the title role of "The Remaining". However Director Max Bezant would later take the role as it was decided that he looked the most homeless.
An original concept was that the title character would find an actual dead body holding the mysterious phone. Editor Jim Lattimore was in talks for the role, until the idea was scrapped.
Due to Max Bezant's insistence in wearing it, the hat found in the opening sequence was a last minute decision. It caused a continuity problem that was later fixed by Editor Jim Lattimore.
The Figures who appear twice in the raw footage were explained and incorporated into the full plot to be a part of a small group in search of survivors. This group called themselves "The Remaining", spawning the films' title.