The Harrison Ford Sci-Fi Epic On Streaming That’s Still Controversial
2013 was a time when YA film adaptations were coming out at a steady pace, and the sci-fi novel Ender’s Game ended up getting an adaptation of its own. The film, which starred Asa Butterfield and Harrison Ford, was not only a box office bomb, but the views of the original author of the books caused some protests and controversies. If you’re interested in checking it out over a decade later, the film is now available to stream on Hulu.
The Harrison Ford sci-fi film Ender’s Game was, and still is, controversial, but it has nothing to do with the legendary star.
Before diving into the ins and outs of Ender’s Game, it’s worth mentioning the caveats and controversies that surrounded the movie. The controversy largely stems from author Orson Scott Card’s homophobic views on same-sex marriage and homosexuality. These views would lead many to boycott the film, though producer Robert Orci did speak to Entertainment Weekly to state that he wasn’t aware of Card’s views when he agreed to develop the film and added, “the movie should be judged on its message, not the personal beliefs of the original author.”
Distributor Lionsgate would also release a statement about the film pointing out that the studio did not agree with the views held by Card. It’s also worth noting that Card had very little involvement in the movie adaptation, so if you’re interested in the story of Ender’s Game, you may feel better about watching the film over reading the books. The unfortunate part is that despite solid performances from Harrison Ford and the rest of the cast, the movie got pretty mixed reviews overall.
“The movie should be judged on its message, not the personal beliefs of the original author.”
Robert Orci, producer of Ender’s Game
Ender’s Game follows a young boy named Andrew “Ender” Wiggin, an exceptionally gifted child sent to a military academy in space to prepare to stop an impending alien invasion. Along with Asa Butterfield as Ender, the film stars Harrison Ford, Hailee Steinfeld, Viola Davis, Abigail Breslin, Aramis Knight, Moises Arias, Khylin Rhambo, and Ben Kingsley. Gavin Hood wrote and directed the film. The film ended up getting negative to mixed reviews and was a box office bomb.
Despite having big names like Harrison Ford, Ender’s Game only grossed $125.5 million on a $110–115 million budget. While there were originally plans for a sequel in place, and reportedly even a script for Ender’s Shadow waiting in the wings, the terrible box office performance all but assured a sequel wouldn’t be made. Add the controversy surrounding the film to the mix, and it seems unlikely that a big-budget Ender’s Game film will be getting green-lit anytime soon.
While Ender’s Game was an undeniable bomb for Harrison Ford, the actor hasn’t really slowed down starring in massive blockbuster franchises since then. He would reprise his role as Han Solo in Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens a couple of years later (which was decidedly a massive box office success) and then reprise his role as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner 2049 in 2017 (a film which was decidedly a massive critical success. Most recently, he returned to another one of his most famous roles when he played Indiana Jones one last time in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
Despite having big names like Harrison Ford, Ender’s Game only grossed $125.5 million on a $110–115 million budget.
With Harrison Ford closing the book on Indiana Jones and Star Wars, you’d think he might be hanging up the towel. Instead, he’ll be joining another incredibly massive Hollywood franchise when he joins the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (taking the torch from the late William Hurt). Ford is set to play the role in both Captain America: Brave New World and the anti-hero team-up film Thunderbolts.
Captain America: Brave New World should be the next film we see from Harrison Ford, as the film is expected to hit theaters in July 2024. Captain America: Brave New World will follow Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson as he fully embraces the mantel of Captain America that was left to him by Chris Evans‘ Steve Rogers. Tim Blake Nelson is also set to return as Samuel Sterns, aka the Leader, after last being seen in The Incredible Hulk in 2008.
We’ll have to wait quite a bit longer to see Harrison Ford in Thunderbolts, as that film has been pushed back to December 2024. It remains to be seen what Ford brings to the table as Thaddeus Ross, but fans are hoping for a Red Hulk appearance at some point. In the meantime, you can check out Ford in Ender’s Game, which is streaming now.
