Writer/Director Boots Riley first thought of the idea for Sorry to Bother You in 2012, a couple of years after he spent time working as a telemarketer and tele-fundraiser in California. While working, Riley found that he would be successful only if put on a different voice, a voice which sounded white.
Riley described his film as "an absurdist dark comedy with aspects of magical realism and science fiction inspired by the world of telemarketing." He also considers it an analysis of capitalism and a discussion of "false consciousness," which is the Marxist theory which says that exploitation is intrinsic between classes - particularly the exploitation of the proletariat by the bourgeoisie.
Originally, Riley never intended to get his screenplay produced. However, after it was published in full in McSweeny's Literary Journal (the publication founded by famed author Dave Eggers), the screenplay drew some interest from Megan Ellison's company Annapurna Pictures. After Annapurna funded the film, production began in 2017.
