Indiana Jones 5 Producer Talks Moving Forward Without George Lucas

While 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull left the series on a weak note, the team behind Indiana Jones 5 are likely hoping to recapture the thrills of the Indy’s heyday, but they’ll have to do so without the creative input of the original creator of this classic adventure series.

Though George Lucas is reportedly staying on as an executive producer, the fifth Indiana Jones will be the first in the series where the famed filmmaker didn’t have a hand in shaping the story. Speaking to ComingSoon, producer Frank Marshall seemed acceptant of the situation and respectful of the legacy that Lucas has left, saying:

“I love being with George and having his input, but life changes and we’re moving on. He moved on. We’re very respectful of the original intentions of the movie, certainly Harrison’s character. The serialization of what the original intention was. I’d love to have George there. I love being around George and working with him, obviously. It’ll be a little different, because the ideas are coming from a different place now.”

Seeing how Lucas’ artistic output these last two decades usually hasn’t received the warmest of responses – from the Star Wars prequels, to the animated box office bomb Strange Magic – you could certainly make the case that Lucas’ involvement in Indiana Jones 5 won’t exactly be what makes or breaks the project. What matters now is that the current team is up to the task, and with Steven Spielberg back directing and Solo: A Star Wars Story scribe Jonathan Kasdan working on the script, the ingredients are likely there for an amusing and nostalgic romp.

Nonetheless, it will be a while before we can actually see Indy’s next outing, with the movie getting hit with a pretty big delay a few months ago. Assuming everything stays on schedule from here on out though, you can expect to see Indiana Jones 5 in cinemas from July 9th, 2021.