It was inevitable. Indiana Jones was going to return to the big screen in one way or another. The only question that remained was whether or not Harrison Ford would return or would be recast as a younger actor takes up the mantle of the dusty fedora and bullwhip. Today we know that Harrison Ford is returning as Indiana Jones alongside director Steven Spielberg for an untitled fifth entry in the legendary series set to hit theaters on July 19th, 2019.
For my money Indiana Jones and the Search for a Fitting Conclusion will probably feature another actor alongside Indy with the hopes of continuing the franchise upon the film’s conclusion. Or maybe, just maybe, they’ll go the route of The Force Awakens and just kill off Ford’s iconic character so the gruff actor can be done with this nonsense for good. However, I doubt that whoever will be the young counterpart to Indy will be played by Shia LeBeouf or swing on the vines alongside the monkeys of the jungle.
Considering Ford’s age and the fact that Kingdom of the Crystal Skull takes place in the ’50s, one has to assume that this fifth Indiana Jones adventure might take place during the Kennedy years, though I wonder how they could tie archaeology to the space race without bringing in more aliens. There’s still no word on other cast members or writers, though it’s safe to assume that they have an initial draft.
But do we really need or want another Indiana Jones film? In my ever-so humble opinion, there’s one great movie in the series with two fairly good and one terrible movie alongside it. Is this going to be just like The Force Awakens, where the focus on nostalgia and setting up a future franchise gets in the way of good storytelling? Like The Force Awakens, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Ford’s Malibu Estate has a fairly low bar — just be better than Crystal Skull. If it can achieve that, they’ll be printing money like they were last December.
From the press release:
Indiana Jones will return to the big screen on July 19, 2019, for a fifth epic adventure in the blockbuster series. Steven Spielberg, who directed all four previous films, will helm the as-yet-untitled project with star Harrison Ford reprising his iconic role. Franchise veterans Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall will produce.
“Indiana Jones is one of the greatest heroes in cinematic history, and we can’t wait to bring him back to the screen in 2019,” said Alan Horn, Chairman, The Walt Disney Studios. “It’s rare to have such a perfect combination of director, producers, actor and role, and we couldn’t be more excited to embark on this adventure with Harrison and Steven.”
Famed archaeologist and explorer Indiana Jones was introduced in 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark – one of AFI’s 100 Greatest American Films of All Time – and later thrilled audiences in 1984’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, 1989’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The four films have brought in nearly $2 billion at the global box office.
