When Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2013 and the heat died down after they announced there was going to be an “Episode VII” (!), the internet realised that along with “Star Wars,” the acquisition of Lucasfilm meant that Disney now had the full legal right to make “Indiana Jones” films to their heart’s content. There was mass panic as rumours of a reboot got out, with names like Bradley Cooper, Chris Pratt, and even Robert Pattinson being bandied around to take up Indy’s whip.
But it seems Disney came to their senses and realised no one can replace Harrison Ford in his most iconic role, and announced the “Indiana Jones 5” that fans were hoping for (as long as there has to be an “Indiana Jones 5” at all, I mean).
Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg will be returning
After the alien-infested, fridge-nuking travesty that was “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” everyone kind of assumed Ford’s whip-brandishing days were over. “Indiana Jones” seemed dead in the water. Many fans agree that it should’ve been left to rest after “Last Crusade” wrapped everything up perfectly, let alone after “Crystal Skull” f*cked it up. It was the general assumption that any further films would not involve the creative team that made something special and crafted a wonderful trilogy and then returned twenty years later to destroy it. Plus Ford is like eighty years old, so it was assumed he had hung up the fedora for good. But Ford is back for another round.
As is Steven Spielberg, who directed every “Indiana Jones” Film, from “Raiders of the Lost Ark” when he was reluctant to sign in for a whole trilogy, right up to directing a fourth film which “South Park” depicted as Spielberg raping Indy. Now he’s back to take a fifth pass at the character. Perhaps Ford and Spielberg are seeking redemption in their fans’ eyes.
Let’s hope they find it.
More people are returning too
In addition to regular “Indiana Jones” director Spielberg and Indy himself Harrison Ford, some of the other old team will be back for round five. John Williams is set to write a new score for the film, and David Koepp is writing it (the guy who butchered Indy with “Crystal Skull,” yay).
It was initially reported that George Lucas would not be involved, but Spielberg says he will be acting as executive producer (aka guy who does the least and gets paid the most). “I would never do an “Indiana Jones” movie without George Lucas. That’d be insane.” It would be. I mean, Lucas only created the character.
‘Indy 5’ is a ‘requel’
The term “requel” was coined by The Hollywood Reporter to refer to sequels that also act as franchise reboots (if you’re eagle-eyed, you may have spotted it’s a portmanteau of the two), such as “Jurassic World.” The "Indiana Jones" producers have revealed that the film will be a continuation from “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” (so apparently we’re still acknowledging that film exists).
Disney CEO Robert Iger says of Indy’s future, “a continuum and then a reboot.” If “Indiana Jones 5” is the continuum, what’s the reboot? Presumably it’ll happen when Ford is too old, but will it be another actor playing Indy a la James Bond (the original model for the “Indy” movies) or will it focus on a younger archaeologist that inhabits Indy’s world?
Disney will make more “Indy” films. Iger said that while the “Indiana Jones” sequels will achieve the “scale” of the “Star Wars” universe, the new film “won’t be just a one-off.”
Endless possibilities
There’s no telling where the “Indiana Jones” franchise will go, but there are many possibilities. While the Mutt Williams spinoff with Shia LaBeouf probably went down the tubes after his mental downfall, the future could hold the adventures of young Indy, old Indy mentoring a group of younger characters who do all the action while he waits in the car, or maybe “Star Wars Anthology”-style spinoffs like the story of Marion’s father.
“Indiana Jones 5” will be released in cinemas on 19 July 2019 (just in case you had plans that day).
