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Harrison Ford Hears ‘The Call of the Wild’.

According to a recent release by Variety, Actor Harrison Ford is negotiations to star in 20th Century Fox’s new film version of Jack London’s 1903 classic novel, Call of the Wild. Best known for his iconic characters in Star Wars and Indiana Jones, Mr. Ford would now be taking on the adventurous role of John Thorton, a miner courageously facing the fierce elements of the Yukon during the 1890’s gold rush. Harrison Ford is definitely in good company as earlier film adaptations have featured a couple other exceptional names in the industry, Clark Gable in 1935 and Charlton Heston in 1972.

The Call of the Wild script, written by Michael Green (Logan), will be brought to life with the help of director Chris Sanders (The Croods) and special effects studio Technoprops, whose founder Glenn Derry did prior work on the blockbuster movie Avatar. While Harrison Ford is scheduled to film the fifth Indiana Jones picture, production has been delayed as the script is re-worked, this allows perfect timing for him to take on The Call of the Wild, set to begin early September.

The Call of the Wild, Jack London, Amazon
Image: Amazon

I remember reading The Call of the Wild as part of my junior high school AP English curriculum and I was completely captivated by the tale. For those that are unfamiliar with the novel, check out this forward written by author Dwight Swain…

“Kidnapped from his safe California home. Thrown into a life-and-death struggle on the frozen Arctic wilderness. Half St. Bernard, half Shepherd, Buck learns many hard lessons as a sled dog: the lesson of the leash, of the cold, of near-starvation and cruelty. And the greatest lesson he learns from his last owner, John Thornton: the power of love and loyalty. Yet always, even at the side of the human he loves, Buck feels the pull in his bones, an urge to answer his wolf ancestors as they howl to him.”

It’s great to see that this inspiring story will be brought back to life on the big screen. What classics would you like to see rekindled for our future generations to enjoy? Let us know at Fan Fest News.