The novel is set in the early 1860s, whereas the adaptation moves the action ahead to 1874, the year that George Eliot began writing the novel.
The Genoa scenes were shot on the island of Malta, specifically around the Grand Harbour and Birgu.
Romola Garai's role of Gwendolen Harleth was played by Vanessa Redgrave in a 1960s stage production. In Atonement (2007), Redgrave and Garai share the role of Briony Tallis as she ages.