 This film originally came from a script by the director Darren Lynn  Bousman which was called "The Desperate". After trying for years to  get it made but being told repeatedly that it was too violent,  finally a company wanted to do it because they suspected "Saw" which  was becoming a hit at Sundance might blow out big and they wanted to  capitalize on its success. Some producers even described Bousmans  script as "Too Saw