Disney delays new Indiana Jones movie another year

Say it ain’t so, Indy! Disney has announced that the new Indiana Jones film, the fifth installment in the long-running series, is being pushed back a year to July 9, 2021.

This is the project’s second delay: Luscasfilm/Disney announced the original release date as July 20, 2019, later rescheduled it to July 10, 2020, and blames the newest setback on script issues.

While director Steven Spielberg remains on board, screenwriter David Koepp departed to direct his own project, so Jonathan Kasdan (son of legendary Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Empire Strikes Back scribe Lawrence Kasdan) has stepped in to work on a new draft of the screenplay.

The Indiana Jones move is part of a wider effort by Disney to solidify its schedule. It’s also announced that Dwayne Johnson’s new action-adventure vehicle Jungle Cruise will debut October 11, 2019, while Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent 2 will hit theaters on May 29, 2020.

At nearly 76 years of age (he has a birthday on Friday), Harrison Ford still looks pretty hale, but the postponement of the new production means he’ll be 78-ish while on set, and at the doorstep of 79 when the new movie opens.

Just for our own amusement (and perhaps, consternation), let’s put it this way: Observe the photo of the late British actor Robert Eddison in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade below? Eddison, playing the ancient Grail Knight, was himself 77 years old when the movie opened on Memorial Day, 1989.

At some point in the near future (if we’re not there already), Harrison Ford isn’t going to be able to play an action hero type any more. We have to expect the new film will include a younger counterpart character who’ll take on 99 percent of the whacks and tumbles, but unlike the Grail Knight, Ford can’t wait forever, and neither can we.

Next: Game of Thrones prequel to reportedly start filming in October in Belfast

To stay up to date on everything Game of Thrones, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Watch Game of Thrones for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels