There is already a (pretty great) replacement rumoured to take over...
It wasn't too long ago when Harrison Ford announced that the currently untitled fifth
Indiana Jones movie was about to head into production, but there does appear to be a last-minute hurdle in that Steven Spielberg has decided not to direct the movie.
Spielberg has helmed all four entries in the franchise so far, including the most recent adventure Indiana Jones & The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, which was released in 2008 to decent reviews (78% on Rotten Tomatoes) and more-than-decent box office ($790 million worldwide), but has since been regarded as the worst of the series by a wide margin.
Variety reports that Spielberg has dropped out of the project in an effort to pass along the reins to someone who can give the series a new perspective for a new generation.
Spielberg currently has his take on West Side Story due for release this December and is reportedly in pre-production on the adaptation of The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara.
In his place for the Indy project, it is heavily rumoured that James Mangold will take over, who is currently enjoying both critical and commercial acclaim with his last two outings: Logan and Ford v Ferrari / Le Mans '66.
With the shoot date for the movie looming, expect an official statement on Spielberg's replacement, as well as a full cast list alongside Ford, to be announced sooner rather than later.
At the moment, Indiana Jones 5 is set for release on 9 July 2021, a week after Sing 2 and a week before the untitled Sony/Marvel Spider-Man project and the Space Jam sequel.
