The film, created in 2005 by Columbia MFA students Brind and Salky, began life as an independent short featuring Hairspray's Adam Fleming. After generating buzz at numerous gay and lesbian film festivals, "dare" is currently being filmed on location in Philadelphia, according to Variety. Salky again directs the screenplay penned by Brind. The duo explored "dare" as a full-length treatment in a reading at the Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in 2006.

Tony Award winner Cady Huffman and Sandra Bernhard – who both starred in Brind's 2006 short "Twenty Dollar Drinks" – have also signed on for "dare." The film features Threepenny Opera cast members Alan Cumming and Ana Gasteyer, alongside Ashley Springer and Rooney Mara.

Rossum, who starred in the screen adaptation of "The Phantom of the Opera," appears in the film that centers on a group of high-school seniors: the good girl, the bad boy and the outsider. A brief encounter between the two male characters of Ben and Johnny was the focal point of the short, while the feature will expand its story line to accommodate interwoven stories of additional characters.