Harrison Ford in Talks to Star in Film Adaptation of Jack London's THE CALL OF THE WILD

By: Jul. 17, 2018
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Harrison Ford in Talks to Star in Film Adaptation of Jack London's THE CALL OF THE WILD

According to Variety, Harrison Ford is in negotiations to star in the film adaptation of Jack London's "The Call of the Wild".

If a deal is reached, the "Star Wars" actor will play John Thornton, a prospector braving the Yukon on THE HUNT for gold. The big-budget film is being adapted by 20th Century FOX from the classic 1903 Jack London novel about THE KLONDIKE GOLD RUSH of the 1890s. It has impressive cinematic as well as literary pedigree. Thornton was previously played by Clark Gable in a 1935 film version and by Charlton Heston in a 1972 version. Over the decades, "Call of the Wild" has inspired everything from a silent movie to a Snoopy TV special.

Chris Sanders ("The Croods") is directing the film, which will have a script by Michael Green ("Logan"). Erwin Stoff is producing with Diana Pokorny serving as executive producer and Ryan Stafford working as co-producer. Steve Asbell will oversee the production for Fox.

The Call of the Wild is a short adventure novel by Jack London published in 1903 and set in Yukon, Canada during the 1890s KLONDIKE Gold Rush, when strong sled dogs were in high demand. The central character of the novel is a dog named Buck. The story opens at a ranch in Santa Clara Valley, California, when Buck is stolen from his home and sold into service as a sled dog in Alaska. He becomes progressively feral in the harsh environment, where he is forced to FIGHT TO SURVIVE and dominate other dogs. By the end, he sheds the veneer of civilization, and relies on primordial INSTINCT and learned experience to emerge as a leader in the wild.

Harrison gained worldwide fame for his starring roles as Han Solo in the Star Wars film series and as the title character of the Indiana Jones film series. Five of his movies are within the 30 top grossing movies of all time at the US box office (when adjusted for inflation)[1]. Ford is also known for playing Rick Deckard in the neo-noir dystopian Science fiction film Blade Runner (1982) and its sequel Blade Runner 2049 (2017); John Book in the thriller Witness (1985), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor; and Jack Ryan in the action films Patriot Games (1992) and Clear and Present Danger (1994).

His career spans six decades and includes roles in several Hollywood blockbusters; including the epic war film Apocalypse Now (1979); the legal drama Presumed Innocent (1990); the action film The Fugitive(1993); the political action thriller Air Force One (1997); and the psychological thriller What Lies Beneath(2000). Seven of his films have been inducted into the National Film Registry: American Graffiti (1973), The Conversation (1974), Star Wars (1977), Apocalypse Now (1979), The EMPIRE Strikes Back (1980), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and Blade Runner (1982).

Photo Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney



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