Where to watch Cast Away (2000)

Trivia & production notes

• Tom Hanks conceived the film's premise after reading about FedEx 747s crossing the Pacific three times daily and imagining what would happen if one crashed.
• Hanks gained 50 pounds before filming began, then lost the weight and grew his hair and beard during a production break to show the physical toll of four years on the island.
• The production schedule stretched across 16 months with multiple hiatuses, including a year-long break during which director Robert Zemeckis filmed What Lies Beneath with the same crew.
• Hanks nearly died from an infected leg wound during filming and required three days of hospitalization, forcing a three-week production suspension.
• Screenwriter William Broyles Jr. spent a week stranded on an isolated beach in the Gulf of California researching survival techniques, where a Wilson soccer ball washing ashore inspired the volleyball character.
• The volleyball was named Wilson after the sporting goods manufacturer and also served as a tribute to Tom Hanks' wife Rita Wilson.
• Alan Silvestri's minimal score won a Grammy Award in 2002, with the film deliberately avoiding any music or natural sounds while the protagonist is on the island to emphasize isolation.
• FedEx provided facilities, aircraft, uniforms, and logistical support but paid nothing for product placement, yet the company saw increased brand awareness in Asia and Europe following the film's release.
• The official soundtrack released in 2001 is an anthology of pieces from all Robert Zemeckis films scored by Alan Silvestri up to that point, with only one track actually from Cast Away.
• An original Wilson volleyball prop sold at auction in December 2024 for $162,500.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article Cast Away, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Rewritten for StreamShack; errors are ours — tell us about them.