Harrison Ford is 71 and long since removed from the days of box office relevancy. However, the man who originated Indiana Jones and Han Solo can do pretty much whatever he wants. It’s just that what’s he been choosing to do lately has been so unexpected. Honestly, it seems like the notorious curmudgeon who’s never met an interviewer he didn’t hate and can turn any smile upside down actually wants us to like him again.
He even mocked the image of him as a mean old man on a Jimmy Kimmel appearance.
In 2010, he actually tried a legitimate comedy in which he sort of played off of the public’s perception of him as being far too humorless. The film, Morning Glory, featured him as storied news reporter who refuses to be made a clown by the increasingly fluffy morning show he’s ended up on with Diane Keaton. It was a box office failure ($58 million worldwide on a $40 million budget), but you could see that he was trying (if just barely). The following year he did Cowboys & Aliens, and, sure, he mostly wore one facial expression the entire film, but he was obviously more than willing to take part in the glorified James Bond vs. Indiana Jones with a side helping of aliens mixture. It, too, ultimately lost the studio money ($174 million worldwide on a $163 million budget). Then earlier this year he starred as legendary Brooklyn Dodgers owner Blanche Rickey in the Jackie Robinson biopic 42. It actually did okay at $95 million gross on a $40 million budget.
Now, this year he has the film Paranoia (in which he’s basically bald) coming in just two weeks, the Hunger Games-wannabe Ender’s Game coming in November, and has a role of some sort in Anchorman 2 in December. No, seriously, Harrison Ford is going to be in Anchorman 2, one would guess playing a similar anchorman role to that he played in Morning Glory. No word yet on whether Steve Carrell’s Brick Tamland will throw a trident at him at any point during the film.
He’s gunning for ya’, Indy.
Plus, he’s been very clear about his expectations to return as Han Solo in a reduced role of sorts in the new J.J. Abrams Star Wars film(s).
As if that wasn’t enough, the past 24 hours gave us two more Harrison Ford stories. Let’s start with the strangest:
Sylvester Stallone tweeted yesterday afternoon that Bruce Willis was out of Expendables 3, but Harrison Ford was joining the cast as a replacement [via ScreenRant].
What! The Expendables films are where 80s/90s action stars go to have a bit of a laugh. We’re talking about Sylvester Stallone, Jean Claude Van Dam, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, Dolph Lundgren, Bruce Willis, etc. But Harrison Ford? Yeah, he’s been an action star, but films like the Indiana Jones quadrology and Air Force One like different than the various Rambos, Universal Soldier, Terminators, and Die Hards. Plus, he’s a fair bit older than the Expendables guys. However, Stallone has been trying to get Ford in the film for nearly a year
Honestly, I never thought life would never give us a reason to compare these two, but now it has.
On top of that, Ford told The Telegraph that he’d be open to doing another Indiana Jones movie:
“We’ve seen the character develop and grow over a period of time and it’s perfectly appropriate and okay for him to come back again with a great movie around him where he doesn’t necessarily have to kick as much ass. To me, what was interesting about the character was that he prevailed, that he had courage, that he had wit, that he had intelligence, that he was frightened and that he still managed to survive. That I can do.”
Ford was once among the most bankable stars in Hollywood. However, at some point he had basically retired to live happily ever after with Calista Flockhart. Now, he’s on the verge of being everywhere. It’s certainly interesting, and The Expendables films are not without their charm. But now Harrison Ford is going to be in one? As of right now, we have only Stallone’s tweet to go off of, but there don’t seem to be any denials from Ford yet.
Seriously, y’all, 2013 is turning into the year of Harrison Ford. Yay?