A modern Hollywood classic, the Indiana Jones movie franchise is now evolving beyond the influence of its original creators. While speaking with Variety, director Steven Spielberg announced that he will not be directing the upcoming fifth installment of the series.
Spielberg helmed the previous four Indiana Jones movies over the course of 39 years, starting with Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981 through Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in 2008. George Lucas produced the movies.
So what’s next? Director James Mangold (Logan, Ford v Ferrari) is apparently in talks to take on the job of directing Indy 5, but nothing is certain as of yet. Spielberg is still going to have his hand in the Indiana Jones pie: he’s set to produce the next movie, but he wants some fresh creative blood pumped into it.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 25: Director James Mangold attends the 56th Annual Cinema Audio Society Awards at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown on January 25, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)
Indiana Jones 5 has been delayed over and over again. Disney got the ball rolling when the studio announced that Spielberg and Lucas were on board to film a new movie — with Harrison Ford back in the lead role — back in 2016, with a premiere date of July 19, 2019. Disney pushed the premiere date a year to July 10, 2020, and then again to July 9, 2021, as screenwriters came and went.
And it seems likely that, with a new director coming on the project, Indy 5′s latest release date will be delayed again.
Ford talked a bit about the movie while promoting his latest project, The Call of the Wild, telling CBS Sunday Morning that he was “going to start doing Indiana Jones in about two months.” But he walked that statement back soon after, telling HeyUGuys there were “scheduling issues and a few script things” and “we’re determined to get it right before we get it made.”
At this point only one thing is for sure: Harrison Ford isn’t getting any younger.
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, 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