An English- and Cantonese-language ensemble is boarding Eyes of Salt, a U.S. indie now filming between Sydney and Los Angeles with Bernice Liu and Randy Charach among the cast. The drama is led by James Pratt, who also directs after his 2022 feature Malibu Crush, and follows Tanner, a New York playboy who returns to his estranged father’s coastal home carrying a long-buried secret. Production is underway with scenes planned across Australia’s eastern seaboard and select Los Angeles locations.
According to production materials, the cast includes Erin Anne Gray and Melody Law alongside Liu and Charach. The creative team is positioning the film as a character piece set against oceanfront landscapes, with Pratt saying the story looks past postcard views to examine the pull of family history and the cost of reinvention. Early loglines indicate a plot built around reconciliation and the hazards of old rivalries in a small seaside community.
The project reflects a modest but steady pipeline of Australia–U.S. collaborations that split principal photography across both countries, leveraging local crews in Sydney while tapping U.S. talent and finishing work in Los Angeles. Pratt’s prior film shot in Australia and later rolled out in North America, a pattern that offers a template for the new production’s release strategy.
While no distributor has been announced, the production start suggests a festival or limited release target once post-production is complete. Casting notices and trade updates list Liu, known for The Legend Is Born: Ip Man, and Charach, whose credits include producing and acting work, as key supporting players meant to broaden the movie’s appeal in Asian and North American markets.
The filmmakers have not dated the project, and additional crew details remain under wraps. Location work in New South Wales typically unlocks experienced below-the-line talent and waterfront access that match the film’s premise, while the Los Angeles schedule allows for interiors and post services. The team’s public statements frame Eyes of Salt as an intimate family story with a coastal mystery edge and a cast combining festival-circuit newcomers with familiar faces from genre and action fare.
