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CALL OF THE WILD

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The Call of the Wild (2020 film)

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The Call of the Wild
Theatrical release poster
Directed byChris Sanders
Screenplay byMichael Green
Based onThe Call of the Wild
by Jack London
Produced byErwin StoffJames Mangold
StarringHarrison FordOmar SyDan StevensKaren GillanBradley Whitford
CinematographyJanusz Kamiński
Edited byWilliam HoyDavid Heinz[1]
Music byJohn Powell[2]
Production
company		3 Arts Entertainment[3]
Distributed by20th Century Studios[4][3]
Release dateFebruary 21, 2020 (United States)
Running time100 minutes[5]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$125–150 million[6]
Box office$111.1 million[4][7]

The Call of the Wild is a 2020 American adventure film directed by Chris Sanders from a screenplay by Michael Green. It is based on the 1903 novel of the same name by Jack London. The film stars Harrison Ford, Omar Sy, Dan Stevens, Karen Gillan, and Bradley Whitford. Set during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush, the film follows a dog named Buck as he is stolen from his home in California and sent to the Yukon, where he befriends an old outdoorsman and begins a life-altering adventure.

The Call of the Wild was released in the United States on February 21, 2020, by 20th Century Studios (its first film under the company’s new name). It received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, who praised Ford’s performance, John Powell’s music and the “entertaining action and earnest tone” but criticized the “uncanny valley” effect of the CGI animals.[8] The film’s release was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, grossing $111.1 million against a production budget of $125–150 million, and lost the studio an estimated $50–100 million.

Plot

During the late 19th century, Buck, a large, gentle mix of Saint Bernard and Scotch Shepherd, lives contentedly with his master, Judge Miller, in Santa Clara, California. One night, Buck is abducted and shipped to the Yukon aboard a freighter. During the voyage, a crew member beats him with a club to enforce discipline. Once in Alaska, a frontiersman named John Thornton drops his harmonica which Buck retrieves for him, moments before being sold to Perrault and his partner Francoise for their dog sled to deliver mail across the Yukon. Perrault hopes that with Buck, he can make the long trek to the mail depot before the deadline. Buck is introduced to the other dogs; Dolly, Pike, Jo, Billie, Dub, Dave, and Sol-leks, including the pack leader, a husky named Spitz.

Buck gains the loyalty and trust of Perrault, Francoise and the other sled dogs, after proving himself along the way. He rescues Francoise when she falls through the ice. All of this antagonizes Spitz. Buck begins experiencing ancestral visions of a black wolf that acts as his guide throughout their travels. One night, Buck catches and then releases a rabbit. Spitz kills it before attacking Buck to assert his dominance. Spitz seems to win until the rest of the pack encourages Buck, who pins Spitz down, displacing him as pack leader; Spitz then disappears into the wild. Perrault grudgingly makes Buck the lead when no other dog can do it. Buck’s speed and strength allow the sled to arrive with the mail on time. There, Thornton hands over a letter he has written to his former wife expressing his feelings about their dead son. He and Buck readily recognize each other. Soon after, Perrault learns the mail route is being replaced by the telegraph, forcing him to sell the dogs.

Hal, a mean-spirited and inexperienced gold prospector, buys the pack and works them to exhaustion carrying a heavy load, along with three people, in weather unsuitable for sledding. The exhausted dogs collapse before Hal can force them to cross an unstable frozen lake. When Buck is unable to move, Hal threatens to shoot him. Thornton appears and rescues Buck while Hal forces the other sled dogs to cross the lake. Under Thornton’s care, Buck recovers. Later, at a saloon, Thornton is attacked by Hal, who reveals he is the only human survivor and the dogs managed to run off, leaving him with nothing. Witnessing the scene, Buck attacks Hal, who is subsequently thrown out. Buck and Thornton then travel beyond the Yukon map where they can freely live in the wild. They come across an abandoned cabin in an open valley and settle in. Meanwhile, Hal relentlessly hunts them, for revenge and believes Thornton is hiding a source of gold.

In the open wilderness, Thornton and Buck bond over their daily activities, primarily fishing and gold panning. Throughout their time together, Buck is drawn to a female white wolf. Saving another wolf, Buck goes between his domesticated life with Thornton and his place with the wolf pack that the female belongs to. After some time together, Thornton believes it is time to return home. Never wanting the gold from the start, Thornton throws it back into the river except for some “grocery money,” and tells Buck he is leaving in the morning, and to come and say good-bye. Buck heads into the forest and sleeps beside the white wolf. That night, Hal finds and shoots Thornton, demanding to know where all the gold is. Thornton throws the “grocery money” at him, but it does not placate Hal. Buck returns and kills Hal by pushing him into the cabin, which collapses from the flames before Thornton reassures him with his final words. The next morning, Buck finds the white wolf, has offspring with her, and becomes the leader of the pack.

Cast

  • Terry Notary as Buck, an enormous, gentle, kind-hearted dog who is a mix of Saint Bernard and Scotch Shepherd. His model was scanned after an adopted dog.
  • Harrison Ford as John Thornton, an experienced frontiersman and Buck’s fourth master
  • Omar Sy as Perrault, a French-Canadian mail runner and Buck’s second master
  • Dan Stevens as Hal, Charles’ brother-in-law, Mercedes’ brother, and Buck’s third master who abuses him and his fellow dogs
  • Karen Gillan as Mercedes, Hal’s spoiled sister and Charles’ wife.
  • Bradley Whitford as Judge Miller, Buck’s first master who spoils him
  • Cara Gee as Françoise, a First Nations mail runner and Perrault’s assistant
  • Jean Louisa Kelly as Katie Miller, Judge Miller’s wife
  • Colin Woodell as Charles, Mercedes’ cowardly husband and Hal’s brother-in-law
  • Michael Horse as Edenshaw, Native-American friend of John Thornton

Production

In October 2017, it was announced that 20th Century Fox was developing a new film adaptation of Jack London‘s 1903 novel The Call of the Wild, set in the Yukon during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush. The film was set to be directed by Chris Sanders from a script by Michael Green, and produced by Erwin Stoff.[9] In July 2018, Harrison Ford and Dan Stevens were cast in the film, with Ford starring as John Thornton, who goes on the search for gold.[10][11] In August 2018, Colin Woodell joined the cast.[12] In September, Omar Sy and Karen Gillan were added,[13][14] while Bradley Whitford came aboard in October,[15] and Cara Gee joined in November.[16]

Principal photography on the film began in late September 2018 in Los Angeles.[14] The film was not shot on location, as extensive use was made of CGI, with some scenes also being filmed on sets in Los Angeles and exteriors in Santa Clarita, California. All in all, the production spent $109 million filming in California, with the final budget reaching $125–150 million by the time post-production wrapped.[17][6] The visual effects were provided by Moving Picture Company (MPC), led by MPC’s studio in Montreal, with Erik Nash serving as vfx supervisor,[18] and also by Soho VFX and Technoprops.[19] The production team used computer animation to create a realistic version of the dog ‘Buck’.[20]

Music

Main article: The Call of the Wild (soundtrack)

In January 2019, it was announced that John Powell would compose the film’s score. Powell previously collaborated with Sanders on the 2010 DreamWorks Animation film How to Train Your Dragon.[2]

Recording primarily took place in Los Angeles at the Newman Scoring Stage, with Powell conducting a 90-piece orchestra, as well as employing a 60-voice choir for the score. Joining him were regular composers Batu Sener and Paul Mounsey, who provided additional music. The soundtrack was released digitally on February 21, 2020, by Hollywood Records.[21]

Release

Theatrical

A bus advertising the film in London

The film was originally set to be released on December 25, 2019, but was pushed back to February 21, 2020, following the acquisition of Fox by Disney, to accommodate the December releases of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Spies in Disguise.[22] The Call of the Wild was also the first film released by 20th Century Studios, following its rebranding from 20th Century Fox by its parent Walt Disney Studios division.[23] Coincidentally, the 1935 adaptation of the novel was the last film released under the Twentieth Century Pictures name before it merged with Fox Film to form 20th Century Fox.[24] The film’s theatrical release in China was delayed until November 13, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[25]

The Call of The Wild was released digitally on the night of March 27, 2020. The announcement followed Disney’s earlier-than-planned releases of Frozen II and Onward on digital, due to the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in the closing of most theatres around the world.[26]

Home media

The Call of The Wild was released on DVD, Blu-ray, and Ultra HD Blu-ray on May 12, 2020, by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment through the 20th Century Home Entertainment label.[27]

The film ranked No. 7 on the FandangoNOW chart for the week ending April 12, 2020, based on total revenue from Monday to Sunday. It also secured the No. 1 position on the iTunes chart for the most recent daily placement as of April 13, 2020.[28] The Call of The Wild debuted at No. 2 on both the NPD VideoScan First Alert chart, which tracks combined DVD and Blu-ray Disc unit sales, and the dedicated Blu-ray Disc sales chart for the week ended May 16, 2020. Blu-ray formats accounted for 57% of its first-week sales, with the 4K Ultra HD version comprising 7% of total units sold.[29] It ranked No. 5 on both the NPD VideoScan First Alert chart and the Blu-ray Disc sales chart for the week ended May 23.[30]

Reception

Box office

The Call of the Wild grossed $62.3 million in the United States and Canada, and $48.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $110.8 million.[4][7] Its high production and marketing costs mean the film needed to gross $250–275 million in order to break even; various publications estimated it would lose the studio between $50–100 million.[31][32]

In the United States and Canada, the film was released alongside Brahms: The Boy II and Impractical Jokers: The Movie as well as the wide expansion of The Lodge, and was projected to gross $15–20 million from 3,752 theaters in its opening weekend.[6][8] The film made $8 million on its first day, including $1 million from Thursday night previews. It went on to overperform, debuting to $24.8 million and finishing second, behind holdover Sonic the Hedgehog; however, Deadline Hollywood wrote that “despite the over-indexing of Call of the Wild stateside, it’s a hollow victory, given how much the film cost”.[31] The film made $13.2 million in its second weekend and $7 million on its third weekend, respectively finishing third and fifth.[33][34]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 63% based on 208 reviews, with an average rating of 6/10. The website’s critics consensus reads: “It’s undermined by distracting and unnecessary CGI, but this heartwarming Call of the Wild remains a classic story, affectionately retold.”[35] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 48 out of 100, based on 44 critics, indicating “mixed or average” reviews.[36] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of “A−” on an A+ to F scale, and PostTrak reported it received an average 4 out of 5 stars, with 59% of people surveyed saying they would definitely recommend it.[31]

Owen Gleiberman of Variety praised Harrison Ford’s performance, saying that he “acts with pure soul here (he also narrates the film with his lovely storybook growl); it’s a minimalist performance, mostly very reactive, but the saintly gruffness of Ford’s thick-gray-bearded, sad-eyed presence helps to nudge Buck to life as a character.”[37]

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryRecipientsResultRef.
2020World Soundtrack AwardsPublic ChoiceJohn PowellNominated[38][39]
2021Golden Raspberry AwardsWorst Screen ComboHarrison Ford and that fake-looking CGI “dog”Nominated[40]
International Film Music Critics Association AwardsFilm Score of the YearJohn PowellNominated[41]
Best Original Score for an Action/Adventure/Thriller FilmWon[42][43]
Austin Film Critics Association AwardsBest Motion Capture/Special Effects PerformanceTerry NotaryNominated[44][45]
Taurus World Stunt AwardsBest Overall Stunt by a WomanCallie Croughwell, Alice Ford, Hannah BettsNominated[46]

References

  1. “Erwin Stoff Photos Photos: World Premiere For 20th Century Studios’ “The Call of the Wild””. Zimbio. Archived from the original on February 15, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  2. “John Powell to Score Chris Sanders’ ‘Call of the Wild’ | Film Music Reporter”. Archived from the original on March 10, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  3. Scheck, Frank (September 4, 2020). “‘The Call of the Wild’: Film Review”. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 5, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  4. “The Call of the Wild (2020)”. Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on September 21, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  5. “The Call of the Wild”. British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  6. Pamela McClintock (February 20, 2020). “Box Office Preview: ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ to Leave ‘Call of the Wild’ Out in the Cold”. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 20, 2020. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  7. “The Call of the Wild (2020)”. The Numbers. Archived from the original on March 8, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  8. Jeremy Fuster (February 18, 2020). “Harrison Ford’s ‘The Call of the Wild’ Faces Off Against ‘Sonic’ at This Weekend’s Box Office”. TheWrap. Archived from the original on April 3, 2020. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  9. D’Alessandro, Anthony (October 12, 2017). “‘Gambit’ Starring Channing Tatum Will Open Valentine’s Day 2019”. Deadline. Archived from the original on October 13, 2017. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  10. Lang, Brent (July 16, 2018). “Harrison Ford Eyes ‘Call of the Wild’ (EXCLUSIVE)”. Variety. Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  11. Lang, Brent (July 24, 2018). “Dan Stevens Joins Harrison Ford in ‘Call of the Wild’ (EXCLUSIVE)”. Variety. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  12. Kroll, Justin (August 30, 2018). “Harrison Ford’s ‘Call of the Wild’ Adds Colin Woodell (EXCLUSIVE)”. Variety. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  13. Kroll, Justin (September 13, 2018). “Harrison Ford’s ‘Call of the Wild’ Casts Omar Sy (EXCLUSIVE)”. Variety. Archived from the original on November 22, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  14. Hipes, Patrick (September 26, 2018). “Karen Gillan Joins “Call Of The Wild” Movie At Fox”. Deadline. Archived from the original on April 12, 2019. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  15. Andreeva, Nellie (October 5, 2018). “Bradley Whitford Returns To ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ As Series Regular, Books 2 Movies”. Archived from the original on October 6, 2018. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  16. Galuppo, Mia (November 7, 2018). “‘Expanse’ Actress Cara Gee Joins ‘Call of the Wild’ at Fox”. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 18, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  17. Film and Television Tax Credit Program Program 2.0 (PDF) (Report). California Film Commission. November 2018. p. 20. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 19, 2019. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  18. “THE CALL OF THE WILD”. The Art of VFX. January 28, 2020. Archived from the original on September 21, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  19. “The Call of the Wild (2020)”. IMDb. Archived from the original on April 15, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  20. “‘The Call Of The Wild’ Is Let Down By Its Animation, Say Critics”. Cartoon Brew. February 21, 2020. Archived from the original on February 25, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  21. Film Music Reporter. “The Call of the Wild Soundtrack Details”. filmmusicreporter.com. Archived from the original on January 31, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  22. D’Alessandro, Anthony (May 7, 2019). “Disney-Fox Updates Release Schedule: Sets Three Untitled ‘Star Wars’ Movies, ‘New Mutants’ Heads To 2020, ‘Ad Astra’ To Open Fall & More”. Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 7, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  23. Vary, Adam (January 17, 2020). “Disney Drops Fox Name, Will Rebrand as 20th Century Studios, Searchlight Pictures”. Variety. Archived from the original on January 17, 2020. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  24. Watson, R. T. (January 18, 2020). “Disney Drops ‘Fox’ From Twentieth Century Movie Studio Name”. Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 17, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  25. Davis, Rebecca (November 10, 2020). “‘The Invisible Man’, ‘Call of the Wild’, ‘The Aeronauts’ to Hit Chinese Cinemas, Bringing New Chance at Box Office Returns”. Variety. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  26. Gaius Bolling (March 26, 2020). “The Call of the Wild and Downhill get early digital releases”. www.joblo.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2020. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  27. “The Call of the Wild”. 20th Century Studios. Archived from the original on June 30, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  28. Brueggemann, Tom (April 14, 2020). “Record-Breaking On-Demand ‘Trolls World Tour’ Leads Home Viewing Charts”. IndieWire. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  29. Latchem, John (May 21, 2020). “‘Birds of Prey’ Flies to Top of Disc Sales Charts”. Media Play News. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  30. Latchem, John (May 28, 2020). “‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Rings Up Top Spot on Disc Sales Charts”. Media Play News. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  31. D’Alessandro, Anthony (February 23, 2020). “‘Hedgehog’ Bites Back At ‘Wild’ Dog As ‘Sonic’ Speeds To No. 1 With $26M+; $203M+ WW – Sunday AM Update”. Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  32. Rebecca Rubin (March 1, 2020). “Harrison Ford’s ‘Call of the Wild’ to Lose $50 Million at Box Office”. Variety. Archived from the original on March 1, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  33. D’Alessandro, Anthony (March 1, 2020). “‘The Invisible Man’ Sighting At B.O. Swells To $29M – Sunday AM Update”. Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 29, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  34. D’Alessandro, Anthony (March 8, 2020). “‘Onward’ Seeing Blasé $40M Domestic Opening, $68M WW: Are Coronavirus Fears Impacting B.O.? – Sunday Update”. Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 23, 2020. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  35. “The Call of the Wild (2020)”. Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on February 17, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2026.
  36. “The Call of the Wild Reviews”. Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 10, 2020. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  37. Gleiberman, Owen (February 17, 2020). “Harrison Ford in ‘The Call of the Wild’: Film Review”. Variety. Archived from the original on March 2, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  38. Awards, World Soundtrack. “Public Choice Award – Awards”. World Soundtrack Awards. Archived from the original on May 17, 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  39. “World Soundtrack Awards (2020)”. IMDb. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  40. “Razzie Awards 2020 Winners: Cats Dominates 40th Golden Raspberry Awards”. Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on April 4, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  41. “IFMCA Award Nominations 2020”. International Film Music Critics Association. February 4, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  42. “IFMCA Award Winners 2020”. International Film Music Critics Association. February 18, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  43. “ASCAP Composers Take Nine IFMCA Awards”. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. March 1, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  44. Anderson, Erik (March 13, 2021). “AwardsWatch – ‘Minari’ leads Austin Film Critics nominations with 11”. AwardsWatch. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  45. Neglia, Matt (March 19, 2021). “The 2020 Austin Film Critics Association (AFCA) Winners”. Next Best Picture. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  46. “Winners and Nominees 2021 – Taurus World Stunt Awards”. Taurus World Stunt Awards. January 31, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2025.

External links

vteWorks by Chris Sanders
vteJack London‘s The Call of the Wild
vteMichael Green

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