A few days ago we reported that Disney was considering  an Indiana Jones reboot, following the company’s acquisition of Lucasfilm last year. Latino Review posted the initial story, claiming they had a “reliable source” who told them that Disney execs had a timeframe in mind for Indy 5, and that if things didn’t start moving forward within that window, they would just recast the role (and supposedly had Bradley Cooper in mind). Needless to say, the internet kind of exploded.
Well, we can all calm down now because apparently, the rumors are false. One day after the initial report, producer Frank Marshall (who has had a hand in all four Indy films) took to Twitter and called the news ridiculous:
Due to the ridiculous rumors that keep popping up, like agents pipe dreams, I will stop commenting on our projects until I have real news.
— Frank Marshall (@LeDoctor) March 26, 2014
As if that weren’t enough, Frank Darabont (who, according to Latino Review’s report, had pitched a story idea for Indy 5) spoke with AICN today and commenced tearing the rumor apart himself, saying:
“This is an internet rumor with not a shred of truth in it. I have not pitched an idea for a proposed Indiana Jones movie, nor has anybody approached me with such an idea. The inaccurate report on Latino Review was the first I’d heard of it.”
So, case closed? I’m assuming so, though this doesn’t mean that an Indiana Jones reboot isn’t going to happen. The bottom line is, it may not be in the works now, but it’s inevitable that Disney will someday recast the role and continue making Indiana Jones films without Harrison Ford. The studio didn’t spend all that money just to let the franchise live and die with him, right?
As someone who was actually excited about the idea of an Indy reboot, I’m a bit disappointed to hear these comments from the two Franks. I think there are endless possibilities with this series and though rebooting it will be problematic and divisive for Disney, at this point it’s really just a matter of when it will happen, not if.Â