Casting a Castaway

SAVAGE SANDS: Eric Kay Steps into the Role of Castaway Jack

Eric Kay (FBoy Island Australia) to star in short film SAVAGE SANDS © Binge/Presidential Productions

At the centre of Savage Sands will feature a singular, physically and psychologically demanding performance by Eric Kay, cast as the film’s lone protagonist, Castaway Jack.

A former lifeguard and Australian Army veteran, Kay brings a rare physical credibility to the role — one grounded not in performance bravado, but in lived experience. Known to Australian audiences for his appearance on FBoy Island Australia (2023), Kay’s casting represents a decisive shift into darker, more demanding dramatic territory.

Kay joins Savage Sands during pre-production, working closely with director James Cunningham to shape the character long before cameras officially rolled. Through a series of test shoots and rehearsals conducted on location, the actor began developing Jack’s physicality and inner life, allowing the character to evolve organically over time rather than being locked into a single performance window. "I'm thrilled to be working with Eric Kay on Savage Sands," says the director. "Eric is brave, trusting and dedicated. He physically embodies the character. He believes in the vision. That's important."

Uniquely, Savage Sands will be filmed in stages across several months, enabling Kay to physically transform alongside the character. His beard, body hair, and overall appearance will be allowed to change naturally, reinforcing Castaway Jack’s gradual abandonment of civilisation and descent into isolation. This slow transformation becomes a visual narrative in itself — a living record of time, survival and psychological erosion.

Kay also approaches the film’s unabashed depiction of the male physique with confidence and intention, understanding it not as provocation but as an essential narrative tool. Eric is proud of his body. In Savage Sands, the unclothed male physique becomes a symbol of freedom and regression; a rejection of social constructs in favour of something more elemental.

Reflecting on the upcoming film production, Kay has described the experience as both confronting and transformative, noting the psychological toll of isolation and the challenge of sustaining a performance that relies almost entirely on physical presence and internal conflict. With Savage Sands, Kay aims to deliver a performance that is stripped back, fearless and uncompromising — anchoring the film with a raw humanity that makes its descent into darkness all the more unsettling.

For more information, visit presproductionsco.com/savage-sands

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