You can’t make THE CALL OF THE WILD without a man and a dog. But 20th Century got a very famous man, and then surrounded him with similarly bright stars.
Naturally, THE CALL OF THE WILD is adapting Jack London’s famous 1903 novel about a dog named Buck and his adventures through the Pacific Northwest and on to Alaska. It’s a majestic story of freedom and friendship, and one that has been told on the big screen before, with versions starring Clark Gable (in 1935) and Charlton Heston (in 1972).
It appears that when Hollywood decides to adapt London’s novel, the stars come out to play, and the upcoming THE CALL OF THE WILD is no exception. Here’s the all-star cast that you can see on screen with Buck when the family film opens at AMC this weekend.
Harrison Ford
He’s not just Han Solo or Indiana Jones, though he frequently returns to those roles. (You last saw him in STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, more than likely.) Harrison Ford will play John Thornton, Buck’s final owner who encounters him in the Yukon and becomes his best friend. It’s a great role for Ford, and one that packs some narrative dramatic surprises that the veteran actor should be able to sell.
Omar Sy
Sy started in the indie world, breaking out in the beloved crowd-pleaser THE INTOUCHABLES. Since then, though, he has applied his trade in blockbusters, joining the X-MEN, JURASSIC WORLD and TRANSFORMERS franchises in various roles. He will play Perrault in THE CALL OF THE WILD, a musher who drives the dog sleds of which Buck will become a runner.
Dan Stevens
The Beast to Emma Watson’s beauty, Dan Stevens has dabbled in everything from Disney movies to horror-dramas. His THE CALL OF THE WILD character, Hal, is a bit of a villain (though not too intense), a fellow dog musher who doesn’t really know his way around the sleds.
Karen Gillan
After dominating the box office as a member of the Marvel Studios family, and appearing in back-to-back JUMANJI movies, Karen Gillan brings her talents to THE CALL OF THE WILD to play Mercedes. She’s not the nicest character in the story — a bit of a spoiled girl who stands in the way of Buck and John Thornton. But hey, every movie needs an adversary.
Bradley Whitford
A legendary character actor who’s comfortable in anything from BILLY MADISON to GET OUT, Bradley Whitford assumes the role of Judge Miller, Buck’s original owner in THE CALL OF THE WILD. The judge viewed Buck as a friend, but didn’t establish as deep of a bond as Thornton eventually did. How different things might have been if Miller had.
Directed by Chris Sanders, THE CALL OF THE WILD is in theatres everywhere.
