$300 Million: Why This Harrison Ford Movie Didn’t Get a Sequel

James Marshall was one of cinema’s most memorable fictional presidents. It must be said that he single-handedly stopped a terrorist attack and saved his entire family and colleagues at the same time – except that he was played by the charismatic Harrison Ford.

When it was released in 1997, Wolfgang Petersen’s Air Force One was a huge success, grossing no less than $315.2 million worldwide. The feature film went on to become the fifth highest-grossing film of the year – though it wasn’t the best of all time.

For example, in France, it is appreciated for the charisma of its actors Harrison Ford And Gary Oldman takes the lead – his efficient and entertaining acting, his suspense and his twists. Critics, on the other hand, insist on its over-Americanized side and clichéd portrayal of the characters (in particular, the hero of the USA facing the big bad Russian), in addition to the extreme patriotism and the unbelievable script. Nevertheless, the film remains a classic of the 90s, certainly a cult one.

• Air Force One: The Scene That Troubled Glenn Close

I remind you that St Air Force oneThe famous plane of the President of the United States of America was stormed by terrorists Gary Oldman personally. The president, his family and members of the cabinet who were with him were taken hostage. But James Marshall is a Vietnam veteran and war hero and will use his skills to regain control of the device.

Faced with such public success, a sequel was then considered. The screenwriter of the film, Andrew Marlowe, revealed what the sequel would have been like had it been made.

An idea for a script, but too many variations

If it would be a little too much to see the hijacking of the president’s plane again in the sequel (Air Force Two?), a change of setting, using the same characters, could have worked. Talked to Syfy, screenwriter Andrew W. Marlowe revealed that a potential sequel would take the story to the sea this time – on an Air Force aircraft carrier, just to stick with the theme.

• Discover Harrison Ford’s first role

“Harrison as president is going somewhere, he’s on an Air Force aircraft carrier, he’s under attack, he’s in a volatile geopolitical situation. So there are things he can and can’t do because you don’t want to escalate the situation. He has to figure it out, and he’s at the heart of it all. There’s a lot of variation, and we haven’t gotten to the point where we’re all like, “Ah, that’s great! We are not repeating the first film. We’re building on it.’“

Not wanting to repeat the first film, the production never reached the desired point of satisfaction, and thus a sequel never saw the light of day – and perhaps it’s for the best.

Air Force One, the one and only, can be seen streaming on Disney+.