Indiana Jones 5 has been on the lips of fans and moviegoers for years, and with every passing month comes another tidbit, another morsel of information regarding everyone’s favourite archaeologist. Despite potential casting favourites, and executives and producers close to the franchise revealing very little, the rumor mill continues to roll on. However, one man has revealed his thoughts on the potential fifth movie — Steven Spielberg.
During promotion for his new movie, spy thriller Bridge of Spies , Spielberg joked about his collaborations with stars Tom Hanks and Harrison Ford. During an interview, he dropped a hint about a fifth Indy movie, one that might be colossal to the dedicated Indiana Jones fans. Speaking to Yahoo , Spielberg said the following.
“We’ve gotta figure this out because now, Tom is tied with Harrison Ford: Harrison and I did four movies, Tom and I have done four movies. Now I’ll probably do an Indy 5 with Harrison, [so] it’ll be five for Harrison, four for Tom. I’ve got to make another one with Tom, that’ll be five for Tom, five for Harrison. And I think I’m going to leapfrog that way for the rest of my career. With Daniel Day-Lewis in everything else!”
Nothing has been confirmed, with “probably” being the key word here, but Harrison Ford is apparently open to the idea of returning to the Indiana Jones franchise one more time, as revealed by the Express . However, the future isn’t set in stone just yet.
Many fans can’t imagine Indiana Jones being played by another actor, despite the casting rumours that are currently blitzing the Internet. Chris Pratt — a man familiar to blockbuster franchises with The Lego Movie , Jurassic World, and Guardians of the Galaxy — has long been rumoured to be Ford’s successor to the role. When asked about his potential casting as Indiana Jones on This Morning , Pratt would express a vague interest.
“I don’t have time to think outside of the eight hour window in which I’m living at the moment. I’m thinking about this show and promoting Jurassic World right now. If that’s down the road, that would be cool.”
Bradley Cooper and Robert Pattinson have also been rumoured to don the fedora, but the dedicated fans might determine who the next Indy is, if it indeed happens. Ford’s age may come into play too — he is 72 now, and still has a commitment to the Star Wars films — so it might be a matter of when, rather than if, he hands the torch to someone else.
Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy revealed that the studio are pursuing a sequel, despite producer Frank Marshall saying that it definitely won’t happen, but with Spielberg’s comments, fans can now live in hope that a fifth movie will soon roll into development. Let’s not forget Spielberg’s busy slate, either. The BFG is currently in the final stages of production, and Ready Player One is getting set for a 2016 shoot, so it could be a fair while until we hear that whip cracking again. Back in March, it was reported that a date was already scheduled for a fifth movie, with Ford attached, but with Ford busy on Star Wars: Episode VII and its potential sequels, this may be pushed back and, in turn, force a recasting.
Rumours also continue to persist that the franchise could be rebooted in a similar fashion to the Bond movies, so that a younger audience can accept Indy into their lives. If this becomes the case, let the casting rumours commence. Many would think Ford could still be involved in some way, as a mentor to a young protégé or student. Whatever the fifth film brings, and whoever is cast, there’s plenty of material to work with.
Indiana Jones 5 rumours will continue to circulate. With Ford about to finish his work on Star Wars , and Spielberg giving the idea a mention in the press, we might hear something concrete very soon. All we have to do is wait.
[Images courtesy of Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures]