The lengthy development of the fifth Indiana Jones film has just gotten a bit more interesting. As longtime director of the series, Steven Spielberg made the announcement today that he will not be returning to direct the fifth film. Instead director James Mangold, of Ford v. Ferrari and Logan fame, is currently in talks to replace Spielberg as director.
The decision to leave was made by Spielberg himself as a way to pass the franchise torch to a new director. It makes convenient sense, given how Spielberg has been very busy with his own projects like the upcoming remake of West Side Story. However, Spielberg will still be a producer of the film and Harrison Ford is set to return as the iconic character, even mentioning in interviews for his newest film Call of the Wild that they are still fixing up the script before shooting. However, Indiana Jones co-creator and longtime Spielberg collaborator George Lucas will not be involved with the film’s production.
While fans might be disappointed with Spielberg’s absence, some may also see Mangold’s selection as a good new direction for Indy. With many still disappointed by Kingdom of the Crystal Skull over a decade later, Mangold being a part of the franchise could bring much needed light, especially given the praise he received for Logan, which was also part of a movie franchise with shaky history. No release date has been set for Indiana Jones 5, though it is expected to release sometime after 2021.
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