All The Latest On Indiana Jones 5

There are many people out there who don’t believe that a fifth Indiana Jones movie is a good idea. We understand why. Harrison Ford isn’t getting any younger, and Indiana Jones films have always been about action. Ford is in rude health and remarkably good shape for a man of 78, but there are certain things the human body can’t do when it reaches that age. We certainly don’t expect to see Professor Jones swinging from whips and having fistfights in the new film, which begs the question of what we’ll see him doing instead. We’ll have to wait until July 2022 to find out the answer to that question, but there are a few things we can tell you about the movie in the meantime. 

While there are still some (frankly worrying) reports that the script for the film isn’t even finished yet, despite the fact that the movie is scheduled to begin shooting, the finishing touches are being made to the cast. We’ve already heard that British star Phoebe Waller-Bridge, best known for her self-written sitcom Fleabag, has an unknown role in the film. Mads Mikkelsen of Rogue One and Hannibal is also involved. Now, we can confirm that Thomas Kretschmann of “Age of Ultron” fame will appear in the movie, too. As with Waller-Bridge and Mikkelsen, the precise nature of his role is currently unknown. The movie will surely need a villain, though, and we can’t think of many better candidates than Kretschmann. Harrison Ford will presumably need someone to do all his running, jumping, and fighting for him, which could be what Waller-Bridge or Mikkelsen are there for. 

While it will sadly be impossible for the recently departed screen legend Sean Connery to appear in the film as Professor Jones’ father, there is a familiar name from the past involved in the production. Under-fire actor Shia LeBoeuf won’t be returning to the franchise, and Steven Spielberg won’t be sat in the director’s chair, but famous movie composer John Williams will work on the film. No Indiana Jones movie would feel right without Williams’ music, so his involvement will be seen as positive news by fans of the franchise. 

We can also probably expect a slew of new Indiana Jones merchandise to appear in the near future, with a new video game believed to be in production with Bethesda Softworks. It will be the first new Indiana Jones video game since the 2011 release of Indiana Jones Adventure world, although the franchise has been active at online slots websites since then. There isn’t an “official” Indiana Jones online slots game, but there’s a slot called Indiana Jane plus a whole series of online slots starring a character called John Hunter, who’s clearly based on Ford’s iconic adventurer. These unofficial slots don’t make Lucasfilm Games any money, but they’re extremely popular with players at Rose Slots NZ. That popularity proves that there’s still a lot of demand for Indiana Jones-related products, which bodes well for the popularity of the still-untitled fifth film. 

It’s odd that we don’t have a title for the movie yet. It’s also odd to hear that the script might not be finished, and we can’t be told anything about the nature of roles taken by these high-profile performers. If this were any other production, we’d be tempted to say it sounds like it’s in trouble. We hope that isn’t the case here. Work on the fifth Indiana Jones film has progressed at a glacial pace ever since it was confirmed in 2016. That’s five years ago now, and cameras still haven’t started rolling. Things seem to have started moving again since James Mangold was confirmed as being the replacement for Spielberg in the director’s chair, so we’re hoping Mangold has everything in order. 

From all of the above, it’s clear we’re still waiting for clarity on a lot of issues surrounding the film. However, we are beginning to get a clearer picture of the movie’s setting. As you’ll know if you’re a fan of the franchise, the Indiana Jones movies are all set in the past. The first film, Raiders of the Lost Ark, is set in 1936. Based on that, if we were to assume that time has passed for the character in the same way that it passes for the rest of us, it would be reasonable to assume that the new movie will be set in the mid-to-late 1970s. It’s been forty years since Raiders of the Lost Ark was released, and Harrison Ford is forty years older, so it would be the logical route to take. Logic must have been cast aside at some point, though, because from comments made by Mangold, it sounds like Indiana Jones 5 will be set in the 1960s. The production might be able to get away with that purely because Ford looks so much younger than he really is. Presumably, there will be a specific reason for the choice of the era.

There’s another rumour circulating on the internet at the moment, and it concerns the ultimate fate of the character. While Ford has been persuaded to return to the part for a fifth time, it’s highly unlikely that he’ll be coming back for a sixth. The objective of including Shia LeBouef’s character as Jones’ son in the last film was to potentially launch a new series of films staring LeBouef, but that won’t be happening. With Ford unlikely to appear as the character again and no apparent future for the series beyond the end of this movie, there’s a suspicion that the iconic character of Indiana Jones might not live to see the closing credits. Steven Spielberg isn’t a fan of downbeat endings and wouldn’t be likely to take this route, but Spielberg isn’t at the helm of the project anymore. Mangold is, and he might be open to killing Jones off in order to put a definitive ending to things. Would that move be popular with audiences? Probably not, but then again, neither was the last film, and it still made money. 

Whether Indiana Jones lives or dies, we’re sure most of you will be happy to pay to see him when the film comes out in the middle of next year. We know we’ll be buying a ticket!