In a sudden development, first reported by Variety, Steven Spielberg is stepping down from directing the fifth installment of ‘Indiana Jones.’ Not only that, ‘Logan’ and ‘Ford v Ferrari’ director James Mangold is in talks to replace him.
Spielberg helmed the previous four films in the franchise, so this is a shocking turn of events to some. However, with the reception of ‘Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,’ the script rewrites, and release date pushes, it does make sense for Spielberg to move on. He will still remain onboard the project, as a hands-on producer, deciding to “pass along Indy’s whip to a new generation to bring their perspective to the story.”
Harrison Ford is still attached to headline the film as the titular character. Just over a week ago, Ford was discussing the film’s production schedule, and how it was slated to begin filming this summer. With the announcement of a new director, there is a possibility that the film will be delayed again.
The latest draft of the screenplay was from ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ co-writer Jonathan Kasdan. Regular Spielberg collaborator and ‘Crystal Skull’ writer David Koepp previously took his hand at cracking the script, before exiting the project.
The news is somewhat disappointing for me. ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ is my favorite movie, and I was looking forward to seeing Spielberg close off the franchise in a grand fashion. However, Mangold is a more than worthy replacement, and is sure to deliver a final adventure worthy of the name Indiana Jones.
The untitled ‘Indiana Jones 5’ still has a release date of July 9, 2021, though this will likely change if filming does not take place this summer.
Source: Variety
Jacob Tyler contributed to this article.