Harrison Ford was one of the most well-known actors of the 1980s and ’90s, appearing in massive franchises like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jack Ryan, and more. Even to this day, Ford has continued making appearances in blockbusters, like Captain America: Brave New World, and reprising his previous roles in films like Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Blade Runner 2049. However, Ford also appeared in all kinds of smaller films that are still beloved, such as Witness, Presumed Innocent, and The Fugitive.
Released on August 6, 1993, The Fugitive tells the story of Dr. Richard Kimble, a man who is wrongfully accused of murdering his wife. After a chance breakout attempt gives Kimble a path to escape, he goes on the run, hoping to live life as a fugitive as he attempts to prove his innocence and bring the real killer to justice. The film has 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and is still considered to be one of Ford’s best, but many don’t know that The Fugitive is actually part of a much larger franchise.
While The Fugitive movie is iconic, many forget that it was actually based on a TV show from the 1960s. On September 17, 1963, The Fugitive premiered on ABC, starring David Janssen as Dr. Richard Kimble. As the opening narration explains, Kimble is on his way to Death Row, having been found guilty despite claiming that a one-armed man actually murdered his wife. By the start of the show, Kimble has been in prison for six months, and all of his appeals have failed. So, when a train wreck gives Kimble the chance to escape, he goes on the run, hoping to prove his innocence and evade the authorities who are searching for him.
ABC’s The Fugitive lasted for four seasons, with its 120th and final episode airing on August 29, 1967. The series was a massive hit, even winning the Emmy for Outstanding Dramatic Series in 1966, and is now considered by many to be one of the best TV shows of all time.
The show’s popularity lasted far longer than its initial run, leading to a movie remake being announced in 1988. The film adaptation borrows the basic premise of the TV show, with the backstory of Kimble’s arrest and goal being almost one-for-one. However, the entirety of the film’s story was told in one movie, while the TV show stretched for four seasons. Upon its release, the film was critically acclaimed, finding fans among newcomers and viewers of the original series.
While The Fugitive would reappear on TV and even on Quibi after the release of the Harrison Ford film, the 1993 version is the highest-profile the franchise has been since the original series’ release. The film is an action thriller classic, and it still holds up to this day, even if viewers aren’t familiar with the 1960s program.
Interestingly, Harrison Ford’s The Fugitive series doesn’t end with the 1993 film, even if his involvement with the franchise did. The film made $368.9 million against a budget of $44 million, meaning that the studio wanted more. Warner Bros. began developing a sequel soon after the first film’s release, with the original stories involving Richard Kimble’s return. However, the scripts weren’t enough to convince Ford to come back, and he declined a role in the sequel. Undeterred by Ford’s rejection, Warner Bros. decided to move ahead without him, instead focusing on Tommy Lee Jones’ character from the first film, Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard.
On March 6, 1998, U.S. Marshals hit theaters with a significant portion of the moviegoing public having no idea it was a Fugitive sequel. The film follows Gerard as he and an officer from the State Department are tasked with tracking down Mark Sheridan (played by Wesley Snipes), a fugitive who escaped after a plane crash. The film made $102.4 million against a budget of $45 million, and it received mixed-to-negative reviews, with it only holding 31% on Rotten Tomatoes.
U.S. Marshals is rarely talked about today and has mostly faded into obscurity, unlike its predecessor. Many fans of The Fugitive still have no idea that it has a sequel, and based on its box office numbers, it seems like audiences in the ’90s didn’t care that it did. While it is an interesting film to see (as an odd way to follow up on The Fugitive), it’s a shame that it couldn’t recapture the magic of Harrison Ford’s iconic thriller.
