Indiana Jones 5 is starting to sound like it might not be such a good idea. It’s been over ten years since Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which is generally agreed to have failed to capture the thrills and charm of the classic 1980s originals. Then there’s the fact that Harrison Ford is now 77 and is expected to take a back seat to an actor playing the younger Indy (a tactic which didn’t work so well in Solo).
In addition, there’ve been Coronavirus caused “scheduling issues,” delaying the release by a year. And finally, what might still end up being a killer blow to the project, Steven Spielberg has vacated the director’s chair. That’s a big loss for the movie, considering that this franchise is indelibly associated with him.
Spielberg’s replacement is Logan and Le Mans’ 66 director James Mangold. He’s a talented filmmaker, but Spielberg’s departure leaves some impossibly huge boots to fill. Perhaps sensing some unease over the project, Indiana Jones 5 producer Frank Marshall (who’s been a part of the franchise since Raiders of the Lost Ark) has stepped in to reassure fans that all’s still well under the fedora and that Mangold is the right man for the job because of the following:
“His love of the franchise. He’s a wonderful filmmaker. I think he also has a relationship with Harrison. It was all of the right pieces coming together, at the right time.”
In addition, he claimed that:
“Steven is staying on as a producer, so we’ve got the best of everything.”
Well, that’s certainly one way of looking at it. In another ominous comment, Marshall said that the writing of Indiana Jones 5‘s script has “just started,” which may be an indication that they’ve turned down yet another prospective storyline and are still working out basic ideas of what the film should be. Considering that it’s supposed to be released in 2022, they’d better get a move on.
