"He Really Threw A Winner My Way:" One Of Harrison Ford's Biggest Hits Only Happened Because Kevin Costner Couldn't Do It

Kevin Costner must really like Harrison Ford, as he essentially gifted the actor one of his biggest hits with Air Force One. Costner and Ford were two of Hollywood’s biggest stars during the 1990s, and between them fronted an almost embarrᴀssing number of box-office hits. Costner had JFK, Dances with Wolves and The Bodyguard, while Ford had his Jack Ryan movies and The Fugitive. Given the similarities between the pair, it’s a surprise they’ve never worked together, though Costner was kind enough to hand the script for Air Force One to Ford.

This 1997 Wolfgang Petersen movie can be accurately summed up as “Die Hard on Air Force One,” where Ford’s President James Marshall has to deal with a terrorist takeover of the тιтular plane. Air Force One became one of Harrison Ford’s biggest box office hits outside of franchises like Indiana Jones or Star Wars, grossing over $315 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo). It’s one of his most fondly remembered, too, thanks to a great supporting cast (including Gary Oldman as the villain) and great one-liners like “Get off my plane!“

Harrison Ford Landed Air Force One Thanks To Kevin Costner

“Get ON my plane!”

Prior to Ford getting cast in Air Force One, he was coming off the back of two duds: the 1995 remake of Sabrina and the troubled IRA drama The Devil’s Own. Ford was in need of a hit, but despite the two men not knowing each other very well, Costner handed the screenplay to Air Force One to him. Costner was originally set to play Marshall, but when scheduling forced him out, he insisted Ford was the only one who could replace him. Says Ford (via Los Angeles Times):

Kevin knew this was a big commercial movie and his schedule didn’t allow him to do it. And he told [the producers] he would let it go only if I could do it. Now Kevin and I are not intimates. I’ve met him on a number of occasions and I like him very much. And,” he says with a laugh, “I like him a lot more now because he really threw a winner my way.”

In hindsight, it would have been the wiser move for Costner to take Air Force One himself; instead, he starred in and directed the post-apocalyptic drama The Postman. The movie bombing – alongside the perceived failure of his 1995 blockbuster Waterworld – saw Costner’s leading man status fall into decline. Still, Costner was clearly more pᴀssionate about The Postman, and Ford ultimately felt like the better fit for Air Force One’s lead.

Air Force One Is Among Ford’s Best Movies

Air Force One is a high-concept pitch that really takes flight

Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman in Air Force One with gun to Harrison Ford's throat

During his heyday, Ford had a talent for spotting scripts that would be both commercially appealing and give him great characters to play. This was true of Witness, The Fugitive, and Air Force One, which is one of the star’s most purely entertaining films from the 1990s. It’s more of a claustrophobic thriller than a slam-bang action movie, though its setpieces are also nail-biting when they arrive. Air Force One is also a prime example of the types of original, high-concept projects that used to get greenlit in Hollywood before franchises and IP largely took over the business.

Air Force One is aided immensely by Petersen’s suspenseful direction (who was no stranger to movies set in тιԍнт spaces after Das Boot) and he lets his actors cook. Ford also excelled at playing action leads who didn’t feel invincible; he can kick ᴀss when needed, but it’s the circumstances that force Marshall into saving the day. Ford is also backed by a very game cast, including Glenn Close as his Vice President, William H. Macy, and Jürgen Prochnow.

Harrison Ford Followed Kevin Costner Into His Biggest Franchise

1923 brought Harrison Ford into the Yellowstone saga

The closest Ford has come to working with Kevin Costner is by fronting 1923, a prequel to Yellowstone. Costner hardly ever returned for sequels to his own movies, which made his five-season run on Yellowstone his biggest franchise by default. The Taylor Sheridan-created series went from strength to strength each season and has been spun off into other shows like 1883. Given that Ford is playing a descendant of Costner’s John Dutton (who is long ᴅᴇᴀᴅ by the time the latter was born), they don’t get to share any scenes.

There are reports that Air Force Two is being developed, with Harrison Ford set to play a role in the project…

Still, 1923 allowed Ford to front the kind of lavish, old-school Western that rarely get produced now. Sheridan has a large checkbook when it comes to his Yellowstone saga, so it’s hardly surprising he can lure the likes of Ford or Helen Mirren to the project. Intriguingly, Air Force One might become a belated franchise for Ford too. There were reports in 2024 that Air Force Two was being developed, with Ford set to play a role in the project.

If a sequel does come together, maybe Ford should make sure Costner gets a role as a thank you for handing Air Force One to him on a plate. It appears Ford doesn’t have any current movies in the pipeline following Captain America: Brave New World, which cast him as another POTUS. Ford is set to return for the upcoming third season of Shrinking, however.

Source: Box Office Mojo, Los Angeles Times