coogler had michael b. jordan in mind to play the role of grant before writing the script. in april 2012, jordan and octavia spencer joined the cast. spencer also received a co-executive producer credit as she directly participated in funding the film and contacted investors when a deal was lost during the filming. notable investors included kathryn stockett, author of "the help," a bestselling novel adapted as a successful film, for which spencer won an oscar. in april 2012, hannah beachler signed on to serve as the film's production designer.