Shalla-Bal was the Zenn-Lavian royal heir and romantic partner of a brilliant scientist from the utopian planet of Zenn-La named Norris Radd, who became the herald of Galactus known as the Silver Surfer.

Shakman, who previously worked with Malkovich on his 2014 independent feature debut crime thriller Cut Bank, gushed about how the Being John Malkovich star "stuck with" him during the several years he struggled to put together financing on the film and "never dropped out."