It’s official: Indiana Jones lives to fight another day. Back in March, Lucasfilm announced a new installment of the franchise with Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford. Considering what happened in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the actor doesn’t have to worry about juggling multiple franchises, though his involvement in this resurgence is still somewhat unclear. What will his role in the new film be? Will he pave the way for a younger star to take over? How long will he keep wielding the hat and whip before he’s official too old for this shit?
Shedding some light on this is Disney CEO Bob Iger, whose Mouse House purchased Lucasfilm years ago in that historic deal. Iger spoke to THR about a number of things going on with the brand, including Indiana Jones 5.
When asked if there would be an Indiana Jones expanded universe along the lines of Star Wars, he said, “Not like Star Wars, no. But we hope…right now, we're focused on a reboot, or a continuum and then a reboot of some sort.” Regarding Ford’s involvement, Iger added, “Well, we'll bring him back, then we have to figure out what comes next. That's what I mean. It's not really a reboot, it's a boot — a reboot. I don't know.”
Though he danced around the questions, he did clarify that he expects more films beyond the fifth installment. “I don't think it reaches the scale of the universe of Star Wars, but I see making more,” he said. “It won't be just a one-off.”
The fifth, still untitled Indiana Jones was announced for a theatrical release beginning July 19, 2019. Spielberg returns to direct alongside his Jurassic Park scribe David Koepp and original composer John Williams. Despite Shia LaBeouf’s role in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which seemingly set up his ascension to adventurer status, Spielberg promised, “The one thing I will tell you is I’m not killing off Harrison at the end of it.”
