‘Cast Away’ Crew Gives Thanks to Texas Community
In celebration of the Texas Film Commission's 50th Anniversary, we went to the archives to see how our history has been shaped by the initiatives, programs and productions from the past 50 years. View more from the archives here. #TFC50
May 18, 2000 | Robert Zemeckis, Tom Hanks and the rest of the Cast Away cast & crew visited the Arrington ranch in the Panhandle town of Canadian, Texas to film the poignant, heavily symbolic final moments of the 2000 film. We won’t spoil the ending for those of you who still haven’t managed to get around to checking it out, but suffice it to say that the wide-open, rural beauty of the Texas Panhandle is on full display in all its unmatched glory.
"Staying in Canadian was the most normal quality of life we have had at any movie location. We just loved it."
Listening to the crew, it seems that the benefits to filming in Texas were not relegated to the natural splendor of the Texan landscapes they were able to capture on-screen. Assistant Locations Manager Audrey Brooks praised “the excellent workmanship of local electricians, grocery store employees, sign painters, oil/gas company employees, phone technicians, welders, TxDot and waste management employees and more” and claimed that “staying in Canadian was the most normal quality of life [they had] at any movie location”. Guess those are just some of the perks to making your movie in Texas!