If it weren’t for this one particular thriller movie catching his eye, we might have never gotten to see one of the best Harrison Ford movies as it came out.
The Fugitive might be one of Harrison Ford‘s best movies, but it wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for Under Seige. Both ‘90s movies were directed by Andrew Davis, with Rolling Stone reporting that he was hired to direct The Fugitive after Under Seige made $156.6 million compared to a $35 million budget.
“Under Siege really elevated Andy, and it gave us and the studio the confidence that he could handle a big action movie,” Stephen Joel Brown, producer of The Fugitive, told the outlet. “I watched it with Arnold [Kopelson, producer]. He said, ‘This guy should direct The Fugitive.’”
And it wasn’t just The Fugitive’s producers that were impressed by Davis’ thriller movie prowess. Harrison Ford, who went on to star in the 1993 film, also made it clear that he was in awe of the action movie director.
“I was at the Under Siege afterparty following the premiere, and Arnold Kopelson came in and said to me, ‘I know your next film,’” Davis recalled. “And I didn’t know Kopelson. I knew he was somehow involved in putting the money together. He was like a broker or a salesman. And so I said, ‘OK.’”
He continued, “And then I got a call Sunday night from the head of Warner Brothers production, Bruce Berman. He said, ‘Congratulations.’ I said, ‘What?’ He said, ‘Well, Harrison Ford saw Under Siege over the weekend, and he wants you to make The Fugitive.” I said, ‘OK. Amazing.’”
So, if you think about it, we never would’ve gotten The Fugitive if Ford hadn’t watched Under Siege. And it’s a good thing he did, too, as producer Keith Barish told Rolling Stone that he doesn’t know “who could have pulled [the movie] off besides Harrison Ford.”
In The Fugitive, Ford plays Richard Kimble — a heart surgeon who is framed for the murder of his beloved wife and faces a race against time not only to clear his name but also to evade capture by the police.
“I wanted to make it a serious action movie with a serious foundation,” Barish added.” Harrison Ford just always felt right.”
The good news is Harrison Ford is still as active as ever when it comes to acting, as he returns to the role of Indiana Jones in the new movie Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.