▁with ▁a ▁rough ▁outline . ▁After ▁being ▁pitch ed ▁the ▁idea , ▁Z ada ▁instantly ▁became ▁attract ed ▁to ▁it . ▁He ▁was ▁most ▁attract ed ▁to ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁the ▁" Su ic ide ▁forest " ▁in ▁A ok ig ah ara ▁was ▁a ▁real ▁place , ▁which ▁he ▁became ▁" obs essed ▁with ", ▁reading ▁as ▁much ▁information ▁as ▁he ▁could ▁about ▁the ▁location , ▁including ▁watching ▁an ▁online ▁Vice ▁document ary . ▁Prior ▁to ▁shooting , ▁Z ada ▁took ▁a ▁trip ▁to ▁A ok ig ah ara ▁as ▁he ▁felt ▁" There ' s ▁no ▁way ▁I ▁felt ▁that ▁I ▁could ▁make ▁a ▁movie ▁about ▁a ▁real ▁place , ▁and ▁not ▁go ▁visit ▁it ." ▁Z ada ▁had ▁described ▁the ▁location ▁as ▁"... a ▁very ▁fright ening ▁place . ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁place ▁where ▁I ▁wanted ▁to ▁spend ▁the ▁night ." ▁▁ ▁In ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁it ▁was ▁reported ▁Natal ie ▁D orm er ▁had ▁joined ▁the ▁cast ▁of ▁the ▁film . ▁in ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁it ▁was ▁announced ▁that ▁Taylor ▁Kin ney ▁had ▁joined ▁the ▁cast ▁as ▁well . ▁ ▁D orm er ▁c ited ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁play ▁two ▁characters ▁in ▁one ▁film ▁ent iced ▁her ▁to ▁accept ▁the ▁role . ▁" That ' s ▁like ▁a ▁life ▁tick ▁box ▁as ▁an ▁actor , ▁to ▁be ▁playing ▁against ▁yourself . ▁It ' s ▁certainly ▁sur real ," ▁she ▁said . ▁"( But ) ▁it ' s ▁hard ▁to ▁make