Harrison Ford returns to the big screen in The Call of the Wild, which hits theaters on February 21. He plays Jack Thornton, the man who finds salvation in a big-hearted dog named Buck and helps Buck find freedom in turn, in the latest adaptation of the classic novel.

In a recent interview with Screen Rant, the veteran actor explained why The Call of the Wild called to him as well as how much the bond between man and dog has impacted his own life.

Mr. Ford, thank you so much for your time. Amazing job on this film. I remember reading The Call of the Wild when I was in the eighth grade, and this brought back a ton of memories for me. This was obviously a Jack London book, and it was adapted into a movie in 1935. What was it about Chris Sanders’ vision that brought you on board for this version of it?

One thing I love about this film is how they give Buck this kind of cartoonish look, mainly in facial expressions, because it really humanizes Buck. But I know that you guys had a stunt performer that was playing the role of Buck. Can you talk to me about how that helped inform your performance in the film?

Harrison Ford: Well, it was Chris’s version - it was the script that I first read by Michael Green, who I’ve worked with a number of times, and the opportunity to tell the story.

I also read this book as a student, and I was moved by it. But I hadn’t revisited it for 40 or 50 years. So, I reread the book, and I thought it was really an interesting movie to make.

I love making family films. They’ve been really important in my career; Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies have passed on from generation to generation when the kids become age appropriate to see them. And that has introduced me to new generations of filmgoers, and that’s been very, very good for my career. I’m always happy to have the opportunity to find a family film that I think I can enjoy making.

It was an amazing performance. You guys both knocked it out of park. You save Buck a few times, and Buck saves you a few times. Can you talk to me about the relationship between man and canine?

Harrison Ford: Well, he’s a former Cirque du Soleil gymnast. He’s not a stunt man; he’s an actor. And his specialty has been working with Andy Serkis and others to play animals. So, he’s quite experienced in motion capture circumstances, and he was our Buck.

Buck doesn’t talk; he’s spoken to, and that’s how we communicate the information that’s necessary to follow the story. But emotionally, Terry Notary - which is his name - was a place for me to direct not just my eyeline, but my emotional energy and get back a reaction to my emotional energy. And he was invaluable in the process. He is really talented and a wonderful person to be with.

More: Read Screen Rant’s The Call of the Wild Review

Harrison Ford: I can only tell you about my own experience and refer to the film. I’ve always had dogs, but they’ve always been rescue dogs. I’ve never paid more than a kennel fee to a rescue.

And they’ve always been important. I’ve always had kids; my youngest has just gone off to college. But we’ve always had dogs, and they’ve been really important in my kids’ lives. And they’ve been really important to my life.

I think part of the comfort they give us is because it’s tactile. They have this lovely fur that we like to run our hands through. They’re warm, little living creatures. And they’re defenseless, basically. And they respond very directly and simply to our moods, to our behavior, to our attention - and they become very loyal companions.

In the case of Buck, his story and mine knit together to allow us both to serve as part of the process of redemption for us both. I’m allowing him to reach his destiny unencumbered by any human demands; by ownership. He’s going to hear the call of the wild, and I’m going to take away from our relationship the confidence to go back and clean up the mess I left behind when I came to the Yukon; not to seek gold, but to seek solace and isolation.

  • The Call of the Wild Release Date: 2020-02-21