Just two weeks ago everything in the world seemed fine. Harrison Ford went on CBS of all places & assured the world more Indiana Jones was coming. That things were only about 2 months away from production getting underway. Then the other day, word of scheduling conflicts emerged. In a way that was expected. Today though had the biggest blow. It turns out Steven Spielberg, in his infinite wisdom, won’t be directing the 5th installment of the franchise.
The news trickled down from Variety, who not only learned about Spielberg’s decision, but his potential replacement. We’ll get to that in a moment. This is a strange development in a production that’s had more fits & starts than Terry Gilliam’s The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. While there’s many things that can be overcome, loss of a co-creator is almost insurmountable. Spielberg has spent 39 years tied to Indiana Jones, so his not being at the helm is just odd.
He won’t entirely be removed from the film though, has Variety shared:
“Spielberg will remain as a hands-on producer on “Indy 5.” According to a source close to the filmmaker, the decision to leave the director’s chair was entirely Spielberg’s, in a desire to pass along Indy’s whip to a new generation to bring their perspective to the story.”
As fresh as this wound may be, the potential replacement has to be discussed. Though it’s only being addressed as “in talks”, Ford v Ferrari director James Mangold may be jumping into the recently vacated chair. The mere fact that both news items happened on the same day, in the same story, is telling of the studio’s mindset. They’re going to make Indiana Jones 5, come hell or high water.
Are you all onboard for a new Indy film? Does anyone out there actively, unironically like Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls? More importantly, who would you like to see direct the next Indiana Jones film? Share your choices in the comment section below! With all the sudden developments the last 2 days, it’s unlikely this film will meet its 2021 release date. Once more comes to light, we’ll update you. In the meantime, we’ll dig for any scoops we can find, armed only with an archaeology degree, a fedora, a bullwhip and a sense of adventure. Don’t laugh at us.
