In a somewhat shocking turn of events, Variety is reporting that Steven Spielberg, the only man to ever helm an Indiana Jones film, is out as director of the upcoming Indiana Jones 5.
The decision to leave is his own and he will still be involved in the film as one of the producers.
In negotiations to replace him is Ford V Ferrari director James Mangold.
Harrison Ford is still on board to star in the film.
With George Lucas already not on board the project, this means that Ford is the only member of the classic Indy trio that is involved in the movie.
Though there has been talk for a number of years about the franchise being rebooted with a younger actor taking over the title role, Spielberg still being around to direct has always been a constant.
He is so synonymous with the films that many people are probably wondering if it’s worth going forward with the project without him directing.
This was definitely unexpected but remember that one of the main reasons Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull was a disappointment is because the long delay in getting a script written caused Spielberg to lose interest in the film and he only stuck around to direct because he didn’t want to disappoint his pals Lucas and Ford.
If his heart wasn’t into this one either, maybe passing the baton to Mangold is the best thing for the film.
Indiana Jones 5 is still scheduled to be released on July 9, 2021, though the change in director may push that back now.
