Steven Spielberg is no longer directing Indiana Jones 5, and there’s a clear reason why. Since the project was originally announced in 2016, it’s encountered numerous issues in pre-production. As a result, the film’s been delayed multiple times and gone through several script rewrites in an effort to get it right. Through all the ups and downs, Spielberg’s been one of the few constants on Indiana Jones 5, gearing up to reunite with Harrison Ford for one last adventure, but now even that’s changed. For the first time in the franchise’s history, an Indiana Jones film is going to be directed by someone other than Spielberg.

It was recently reported Spielberg stepped down as helmsman, with Logan and Ford v Ferrari director James Mangold in talks to take over. Considering Spielberg’s storied history with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy (the two have been making films together for decades), this development came as something of a surprise. Over the past handful of years, Lucasfilm’s earned a rather infamous reputation for cycling through creatives, as they’ve parted ways with a plethora of directors on various Star Wars productions. But with Indiana Jones 5, the reasoning behind Spielberg’s departure is a bit different.

In the Variety story covering the Indiana Jones 5 story, it’s said Spielberg decided to vacate the director’s chair on his own accord, out of “a desire to pass along Indy’s whip to a new generation and bring their perspective to the story.” It’s worth mentioning Spielberg is still involved with the movie as a producer, serving as a sounding board for Mangold (or whoever the new director is should talks with Mangold break down).

Spielberg obviously remains passionate about Indiana Jones 5 and is excited about the project’s potential (or else he wouldn’t be producing), but he feels the film would be better with a different creative voice behind it. Injecting the franchise with some new blood is arguably for the best, since a case can be made it’s run its course with Spielberg at the helm. Fans may recall Spielberg needed some convincing to return for Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, so even then the legendary filmmaker was under the impression he had little left to offer the Indiana Jones property in a directorial capacity. Mangold is known for his gritty, grounded character dramas, and it’ll be exciting to see what he brings to the table and how he puts a spin on the grizzled archeologist. Fans have seen “old Indy” in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, giving the filmmakers a tough nut to crack in terms of the narrative.

Mangold joining Indiana Jones 5 is an exciting proposition for the film’s prospects, but it plausibly could lead to yet another delay. It was only two weeks ago Harrison Ford said Indiana Jones 5 starts filming in a couple of months, but of course that was before the director switch. Mangold likely has his own ideas for the movie, and it’d be wise if Lucasfilm gave him ample time to develop them as opposed to rushing through pre-production. One of the reasons why Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker struggled creatively is because J.J. Abrams sped through the process in order to meet a 2019 release date (the film was being edited during principal photography). Unless Mangold is ready to hit the ground running, he may not be set to start rolling the cameras in April, so Indiana Jones 5 might be pushed back again.

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Source: Variety

  • Indiana Jones 5 Release Date: 2023-06-30