Steven Spielberg is handing the directing reins on “Indiana Jones 5” to another filmmaker for the first time in the franchise’s 39-year history.
According to Variety, “Ford v Ferrari” director James Mangold might replace Steven Spielberg as director of the fifth Indiana Jones film, reported Variety on Wednesday.
Variety reported that the decision was Spielberg’s who thought it best to leave the popular franchise in younger hands which might bring a fresh perspective. Spielberg will remain as a hands-on producer on “Indy 5.”
The movie brings back Harrison Ford’s professor of archaeology and adventurer. Harrison Ford is still on the project and recently spoke about the future of the franchise while promoting his latest film “The Call of the Wild.”
He said this month that he was “going to start doing ‘Indiana Jones’ in about two months,” and then days later said that the project is still facing “scheduling issues and a few script things.”
Indiana Jones 5 was originally scheduled to be released on July 19, 2019 when it was announced in 2016. It was pushed to July 10, 2020 and again to July 9, 2021.
George Lucas, who co-created Indiana Jones with Spielberg, has retired and is not expected to be officially involved with “Indy 5.”
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was a critical and commercial success. It grossed more than $790 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film in the franchise.
The franchise began with Raiders of the Lost Ark (or Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark) in 1981.
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