"Indiana Jones 5" will be a follow-up to the fourth film in the franchise – "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." This is according to producer Frank Marshall, who also emphasized (via Variety) that there will be no one else to don the fedora but Harrison Ford.
"Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" was released in 2008 to a lukewarm to poor reception from critics and fans alike. With the film still slandered by many, there's hope that "Indiana Jones 5" will help bring the franchise back to its former glory.
Unfortunately, Marshall did not elaborate on his statement and did not offer more details about what "Indiana Jones 5" will be all about. Screenrant emphasizes that with the self-contained nature of the "Indy" movies, the upcoming installment will be given the same treatment.
That being said, it could be that "Indiana Jones 5" won't exactly be a continuation to "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," which was pretty close-ended plot-wise. Marshall may have meant that it will simply not be a prequel, which is entirely impossible to make happen.
The fifth "Indiana Jones" film will be released in 2019. By that time, Ford will be 77 years old. Marshall is nonetheless open to more "Indiana Jones" movies but not to the idea of having a new actor to play the titular whip-wielding archaeologist.
"It's all about the story. I think both in the 'Jason Bourne' series and on 'Indiana Jones,' we are not going to do the Bond thing," Marshall said. "We think those characters are iconic, and those are the only actors who can play that," he maintained.
Ford himself is excited about the prospect of playing the character once again in the big screen. Before he was confirmed to reprise the iconic role, the "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" star expressed excitement to be back.
The same goes for "Indiana Jones" movies director Steven Spielberg, who was as adamant as Marshall in saying that Ford is the only Indy and no one else.
"Indiana Jones 5" hits the big screen on July 19, 2019.
