Harrison Ford has done a great amount of movies that are loved by his fans and he has worked with other actors who have just as large a fanbase as his. He has done movies that easily get regarded as some of the most iconic. However, he has done movies that aren’t as proudly loved. Many might call them their guilty pleasure but critics were the ones who were not as fond of them.
Daniel Craig and Jon Favreau teamed up with Ford for one movie in particular and it confused him heavily. While the fans weren’t very fond of it either, it took a great amount of convincing to let the actor join the movie in the first place. Even with a great cast, the movie wasn’t a fan favorite.
Harrison Ford Saw A Story Within The Script To Actually Say Yes To Cowboys And Aliens
When Harrison Ford was first given the script for Cowboys and Aliens, he was dumbfounded because the script completely went over his head. The concept was foreign and it could easily end before it was even initiated.
“I read it and frankly didn’t get it at all. But then I talked to Jon about the concept and the visual stuff and I sort of figured out how it might work. What I liked about it was that these people in the 1870s in New Mexico had no concept of outer space, no concept of life on other planets.”
He was intrigued by how cowboys would even deal with creatures from another planet. The way people from the late 1800s would perceive the scientific concepts of life outside of their own planet is unique on its own. He was hesitant before even saying yes to the script and Jon Favreau had to help the actor. He explained the entire concept of the movie and it was only then that Ford agreed to the movie.
The Concept Of The Movie Was Difficult To Market
The concept of Cowboys and Aliens follows how people in the 1800s would deal with otherworldly beings with zero to no knowledge about them. They even refer to the aliens as demons in the movie. This was also something that attracted Harrison Ford to the movie even more.
“Once you tell that gag, it’s over. So we all decided to tell a story. A journey of redemption, the journey of two characters that have to redeem themselves with the backdrop of this sort of crazy [alien invasion] thing. So we just played the reality of it.”
The movie was rather difficult to market because of the gag title and serious concept. However, it worked out in the end for them.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
