After much speculation, it’s finally been confirmed that Indiana Jones 5 will indeed feature a de-aged Harrison Ford, which is actually a little reassuring when it explains why a stunt double was pictured on set during production wearing a deeply troubling recreation of the leading man’s face.
As a general rule, the technology used to make veteran actors look a great deal younger tends to be inconsistent at best, especially when a Disney-backed production is responsible for the digital fountain of youth. In an interview with Empire, the star broke down the grand introduction to the fifth and final installment, and we’re a touch alarmed that he’s used the word “spooky” to describe his own visage.
“This is the first time I’ve seen it where I believe it. It’s a little spooky. I don’t think I even want to know how it works, but it works. Doesn’t make me want to be young, though. I’m glad to have earned my age.”
It’s a touch oxymoronic for Indiana Jones 5 to embrace and celebrate Ford’s advancing years while simultaneously kicking off the story with the intrepid adventurer in the prime of life, but we really hope the CGI is up to scratch. Few things are capable of ruining instant immersion than ropey effects, especially when we’re talking about one of the modern era’s most instantly recognizable and iconic stars.
Fingers crossed that Indiana Jones 5 is a great deal more like the original trilogy than Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but it’s definitely best to wait until the first footage is revealed before making anything approaching a concrete weight of expectation.