Cast Away lets Hanks fend for himself". Detroit News. December 22, 2000. Archived from the original on June 8, 2011 . Retrieved November 26, 2008. That's whenwe really started wondering, ‘Why do they need that? What could they be doing with one-sided balls?'” Wallace recalls.

The film features Hanks as a FedEx systems analyst who washes up on an uninhabited island after his plane crashes. As he struggles to survive alone on the island, he begins to use a Wilson Sporting Goods volleyball as his confidant, drawing a smiley face into his own bloody handprint on the ball. Watch: Tom Hanks throws first pitch at Guardians home opener". Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. April 15, 2022 . Retrieved April 16, 2022. Nate Smith (January 7, 2001). " Cast Away proves great films still exist". Daily Gazette. Archived from the original on June 8, 2011 . Retrieved November 26, 2008. Schaefer, Stephen (January 31, 2001). "SAG might shake up Oscar field". The Boston Herald. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013 . Retrieved October 9, 2013.How Phish Phooled with a Phake Hanks". people.com. Archived from the original on January 1, 2021 . Retrieved September 23, 2021. At the time, Wilson volleyballs had “Wilson” printed on both sides of the ball, but Fox specifically requested volleyballs with one side blank. Says Davenport, “ We had no idea why they needed that, but we did it. We special-made 60 one-sided volleyballs and sent them off to Fox.” The film begins and ends in the same location, on the Arrington Ranch in the Texas Panhandle south of the city of Canadian, Texas. [7] Music [ edit ] a b Galloway, Stephen (November 30, 2017). "Actor Roundtable: Tom Hanks, James Franco and More on 'Predators Everywhere' and Secrets of 'Legends' ". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 4, 2018 . Retrieved December 8, 2017. A look at some of the biggest hits in film and TV product placement". The Hollywood Reporter. April 28, 2005. Archived from the original on September 3, 2006 . Retrieved November 25, 2007.

It was the end of his journey.” Unfortunately, it appears the final Wilson didn’t end up in a museum, memorabilia store, or in an auction. Instead, that particular volleyball found its way to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, or at best, floating around in the Pacific Ocean somewhere. VanHooker, Brian (April 17, 2020). "What Would Have Happened to Wilson After". Archived from the original on May 1, 2021 . Retrieved April 29, 2021. Weekend Box Office Results for December 22-25, 2000". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015 . Retrieved April 9, 2015.The question of whether Wilson the Volleyball was real has been a topic of debate since the release of the movie Castaway in 2000. While the filmmakers have not come out and said definitively whether Wilson was a real volleyball or just a movie prop, many people believe that the volleyball was in fact a real, functional sports ball. It is argued that the filmmakers wanted to create a realistic, believable character to enhance the story, and the only way to do that was to give the ball a personality of its own. Additionally, the distinctive markings on the ball suggest that it was a real, hand-painted volleyball. Ultimately, the exact truth behind Wilson may never be known, but it is certainly an interesting and thought-provoking question. Wolf, Matt (February 26, 2001). " 'Gladiator' Gets 5 British Awards". Topeka Capital-Journal. Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 9, 2017 . Retrieved October 9, 2013. Weekend Box Office Results for December 22-24, 2000". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on June 20, 2019 . Retrieved April 9, 2015. I said ‘OK, you have to tell me something; I have no idea what to say to the media and I keep getting calls.’”

The film also helped Wilson's partner, the AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals), because their logo was also visible on the ball. If they weren’t already, Wilson and the AVP became cemented together forever in the volleyball world.Natale, Richard (December 20, 2000). "Casting About". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 18, 2015 . Retrieved April 9, 2015. Wallace consulted with Kuehne and Volleyball and Soccer Business Manager, Alan Davenport. It was a more vague request than Wilson usually received, but with the reassurance only Tom Hanks could provide, the team agreed to send Fox what it had asked for… which was actually soccer balls. Wilson Cast Away Volleyball". Wilson Sporting Goods. Archived from the original on April 28, 2014 . Retrieved April 27, 2014. At the time of filming, a FedEx plane hadn’t actually crashed like that in real life—though in 2009 two crew members died in a crash and in August 2015 a plane crashed into the Caribbean Sea—but the company didn’t want to draw attention to the fact that it could happen. FedEx provided filming locations at their hubs in Memphis, Los Angeles, and Moscow, and helped with logistical support. The short article actually played things relatively straight until the last line: “the thoughtful and overworked staff at the Gold Coast hospital have brought Hanks in a Wilson volleyball to keep him company for the duration of his stay.”

After receiving the photo, the team didn’t hear from Fox Studios again until the film was set to begin industry screenings in LA. And assoon as the screenings began, calls started rolling in. Stranded: Behind-the-Scenes of Cast Away, A comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at Cast Away". Stumped Magazine. 2004. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011 . Retrieved December 27, 2009.Nowadays, production companies want big money for product placement. But at the time, that wasn’t really the case,” explains Director of Basketball, Volleyball, and Soccer, Mike Kuehne. “But they just wanted the balls.” It could have been,” Tom said. “[ Cast Away] was written by Bill Broyles and that movie took about six years to figure out. Bill Broyles and I started talking about it and we didn’t shoot it until six years later. He came up with the idea of a volleyball and he named it Wilson in honor of my beautiful bride.”