Harrison Ford hits The Last Frontier in first The Call of the Wild trailer

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

When I was in junior high it was almost a right of passage to read Jack London's The Call of the Wild. The adventures of Buck the St. Bernard/Scotch Collie possesses an innate attraction for young men and women on the cusp of their formative years. Reading that novel was like being transported to another time and place where you could feel the bite of the snow, see the shimmer of the Yukon gold, and hear the howl of wolves in the night. Twentieth Century Pictures famously adapted London's novel in 1935 and over eighty years later, audiences will soon get their chance to catch Buck and John Thornton on the big screen again. As such, 20th Century Fox just dropped a brand new trailer this morning.

Although I was hesitant when I heard that Buck would be a completely CGI rendered character,  I have to say this trailer assuages my fears. Buck looks decidedly realistic and it's obviously much easier to get a CGI dog to do what you want rather than a real one. Fans of the book will recall there's some pretty harrowing things that happen to Buck in the novel, so keeping a dog out of danger is not the worst thing.

Harrison Ford will take on the role of John Thornton, a reclusive hermit who loves pan-handling for gold as much as he hates people. The two eventually develop a bond and a friendship deeper and more satisfying than either thought possible. Ford as Thornton is about as close to perfect casting as you can get. Harrison Ford already has a public perception as a cantankerous and grumpy guy. He is absolutely killing it with that gruff voice and awards season beard. I have zero doubt that Ford's Thornton will be on point.

THE CALL OF THE WILD directed by Chris Sanders and starring Harrison Ford, Dan Stevens, Karen Gillan, Omar Sy, and Bradley Whitford barks its way into theaters February 21, 2020.