Bidding for this lot will end on Wednesday, August 26th. The auction will begin at 9:30 AM (PDT) / 12:30 PM (EDT) / 5:30 PM (GMT) and lots are sold sequentially via live auctioneer; tune in to the live streaming broadcast on auction day to follow the pace. Note other lots in the auction may close on Thursday, August 27th or Friday, August 28th or Saturday, August 29th.
Chuck Noland's (Tom Hanks) screen-matched distressed Wilson volleyball from Robert Zemeckis' survival drama Cast Away. During his four years stranded alone on a desert island, plane-crash survivor Noland created Wilson, his only companion, out of a volleyball he found in one of several FedEx packages washed ashore. The appearance of both Noland and Wilson grew more disheveled throughout the film as the years passed on the island. Markings on this volleyball's face and the placement of the stitching on the leather match the scenes where Noland made rope in his cave and spoke to Wilson on the beach.
During development on the film, screenwriter William Broyles, Jr. intentionally stranded himself on a beach to simulate the experiences of his lead character. According to Broyles, a soccer ball washed ashore during this process, ultimately resulting in the creation of Wilson.
Upon release, Cast Away became the third-highest-grossing film of 2000, earning more than $429 million in worldwide box office receipts and two Academy Award® nominations, including one for Hanks. In its wake, Wilson - a piquant reminder in the film of Noland's life with Kelly Frears (Helen Hunt) and symbol of his indestructible fortitude - became a beloved pop culture icon, earning Teen Choice and MTV Movie + TV Award® nominations for its "performance" as well as the first-and-only Critics Choice Award for Best Inanimate Object.Only 12 Wilsons are believed to have been made for the production. The Wilson Sporting Goods Company made a special run of volleyballs for the production that, unlike the standard ball, only had "Wilson" printed on one side of the ball. The team behind the Wilson props worked with survival expert Steve Watts to put together the Wilsons using only tools Chuck had on the island, including palm fronds, petiole, and driftwood gathered from local parks and beaches. The end result was a collaborative effort between Set Decoration, Paint, Props, the Art Department, and even Tom Hanks himself.This Wilson is one of the finest and most complete examples ever to come to market. The most notable features of this ornately detailed Wilson are its dark brown-and-red "face" on the front, representing Chuck's bloody handprint, with faded "eyes", "nose", and "mouth." The top of the ball is torn open, and an array of tobacco stalks is inserted to give the appearance of hair. Several stitches are present on the torn edges of the ball's front, around the opening.
While its tobacco stalk hair remain largely intact and the extent of its intentional distressing by production - including its flattened base and pushed-down stalks - is still largely preserved, this volleyball also shows evidence of wear consistent with on-set use, handling, and age. Dimensions: 12" x 12" x 12" (30.5 cm x 30.5 cm x 30.5 cm)
Estimate: $150,000 - 300,000
View all lots from CAST AWAY (2000)
This item comes with a Propstore Certificate of Authenticity.