“Indiana Jones 5” will start filming in the UK next week. Steven Spielberg will not be directing the fifth instalment. Instead, it has been confirmed that director James Mangold (“Ford v Ferrari,” “Logan”) will be taking over directing duty.
Mangold is a solid studio filmmaker, but one wonders if the Indiana Jones series has any juice left in its reservoir. The last good movie in the franchise was “Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade,” which was released almost 31 years ago. Time to move on? Mangold and company clearly don’t believe that to be the case.
There was a noble attempt at gaining back the relevance of yore in 2008, but it turned out to be the misbegotten “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” Harrison Ford was missing a step or two, the story was clunky, there was none of that rebellious exuberance that was very much present in the ‘80s.
Ford will be 79 by the time the fifth instalment is released, not to mention that the role is a physically demanding one — is it any wonder that there are doubts if this could actually be pulled off? Ford isn’t out-of-shape in the least bit, but, he is set to become the oldest action star at the movies.
Ford will be joined by Mads Mikkelsen, Phoebe Waller Bridge, Boyd Holbrook, Shaunette Renée Wilson and Thomas Kretschmann. Plot details are being kept under wraps. The current release date is July 29, 2022.