After a few years of speculation and rumors, the fifth installment in the Indiana Jones legacy has been given the green light. The film, which doesn’t have an extended title, is set to reunite Harrison Ford as famed whip snapping, wise cracking purveyor of ancient relics Indiana Jones, and Oscar winning director Steven Spielberg.
Set to hit theaters on July 19, 2019, the film will hopefully wash away the bad taste of relative misfire Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. And thought the announcement just happened, fans are already wondering whether Indy will finally be fighting the Nazis (one can hope), will he be going after a Judeo-Christian artifact (a la Raiders of the Lost Ark and Last Crusade), or if he’ll get the opportunity to take on an entirely new adventure.
It should also be noted that in 2019 Harrison Ford will be 77. While reprising his role as Han Solo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Ford was limited in his movement and running during production. Will he be able to whip up (pun intended) the combative nature that fans expect from their leading hero?
“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 of Walt Disney Studios, in a statement. “We couldn’t be more excited to embark on this adventure with Harrison and Steven.”
While no writers have been announced, franchise veterans Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall are attached to produce.
Ford and Spielberg debuted the famed archeologist in 1981’s box-office smash Raiders of the Lost Ark, a film that currently ranks as No. 60 on the American Film Institute’s “100 Greatest Films of All Time” list. Ford went on to reprise the iconic role 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.
Can Ford rescue the franchise from the ashes like a Phoenix, or will this be the last go-round before the inevitable reboot starring a much younger and sprier Chris Pratt? 2019 looks to hold all the answers.
