A lot of fans were skeptical that Indiana Jones 5 would even happen, given the tortured pre-production process that saw Steven Spielberg drop out of the director’s chair to be replaced by James Mangold, while former scribe David Koepp admitted that the reason the script was taking so long to come together was because none of the key creative players could agree on a tone or direction.
For a long time, that planned July 2022 release date was viewed as either hugely ambitious or wishful thinking, but all the signs are pointing to Harrison Ford’s fifth outing as the iconic archeologist and adventurer getting in front of cameras this summer as planned to hit theaters on schedule.
Two-time Golden Globe and three-time Emmy winner Phoebe Waller-Bridge became the first new addition to the ensemble last month, and she was swiftly joined by Mads Mikkelsen. It’s the latest major franchise for an actor that’s already appeared in James Bond, Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, not to mention replacing Johnny Depp as the Wizarding World’s Grindelwald, and in a new interview, the Hannibal star revealed that the script for Indy 5 was everything he wanted it to be and more.
“I’m very, very excited about it. I re-watched Raiders of the Lost Ark the other day, it is so well-done and so charming, and it’s such great storytelling. So yes it’s a great honor to be part of that franchise that I grew up with. I’m in a lucky position where they let me read the script before. And yes, it was everything I wished it to be, so that was just great.
I do think I’m invited in to create a character, I think that everybody wants that. That’s why they pick certain actors that they think can come up with certain things, and it will be a collaboration as it always is. Interesting enough, there is kind of a genre mix in Indiana Jones always. There is something that is a little larger-than-life, almost back to the 30s with a Peter Lorre kind of feel, and then you have Indiana Jones who kind of is a straight man. But he does produce a lot of funny and interesting things, but there are different character genres in some of those films.”
After Koepp, Jonathan Kasdan and Dan Fogelman had all been tasked to pen the screenplay at various points, Mangold recently confirmed that he’s co-writing the shooting draft alongside siblings Jez and John-Henry Butterworth, who he previously collaborated with on Best Picture nominee Ford v Ferrari. Thomas Kretschmann has also been confirmed for the cast, and we know that John Williams will be back to compose the score, so it’s looking like all systems go for Indiana Jones 5 at long last.