Shelley Duvall's first film in 20 years.
Edward Furlong and Dee Wallace were up for the same role, which ultimately went to Edward. The role of Billy would have been Vera, if Dee had been cast in the role. The character would have also been a "lesbian biker chick" according to one of the versions of the script.
Original title was Howl but was later changed to The Forest Hills since the title was too close to Dee Wallace's previous film, The Howling. The title of Howl was then used by Brian Michael Finn for the official behind the scenes documentary.
Felissa Rose was originally slated to play the role of Sadie but due to scheduling conflicts, she was unable to take on the role. Production ended on the initial two weeks and then add-on shoots began in November 2022. Felissa was able to schedule her availability to work with Shelley Duvall.
The Forest Hills originally was the title for a project with a completely different story, meant to filmed in Michigan. Due to the erratic and unprofessional behavior of a local producer, the films story was changed and production was moved to Upstate, New York.