Man, it seems things were not good on Indiana Jones 5 but we never knew how bad they really were… until now.
We know that in February director Steven Spielberg walked away from the movie and Logan director James Mangold stepped up to take the reigns (here), meaning, for the first time, we’re getting an Indy movie not made by Spielberg.
But now screenwriter David Koepp, in a new interview, lays out why he and Spielberg left, following arguments over the script.
“it was just very hard to have everybody come together and have all the elements — Steven, Harrison [Ford], the script and Disney — come together at once. And it didn’t,” he explains.
“When James Mangold came in and Steven stepped out, that was a pretty logical breaking point. It’s a gracious time to step out the door because I think the last thing a new director wants is the old director’s writer.”
We did learn a while back (here) that Koepp had possibly flirted with the Ryan Johnson Star Wars idea of subjecting expectations and maybe, just maybe, that was where the problems lay? After all, we know that that had devastating repercussions for Star Wars: “I think the most important thing is, in an age when franchises have become a commodity, that serving the same thing again.
“At least for me, in the dances I’ve had with any franchises, serving the same thing again, the same way, usually just produces a longing for the first time you ate it. Meaning, it makes an audience wish that they just had the first one over again. So you have to push something to someplace new, while also remembering the core reasons why everyone was gathered. And to use Logan as an example of that, when you’re dealing in a world of a very pressured franchise.”
Of course, I’m just speculating, but I can’t help feeling that Disney were afraid to go all-in with a new Indiana Jones that risked changing what the fans really wanted to see – but I could be wrong.
On another note, if the movie is to get made, they need to movie fast as Ford is now 78, so it’s close to too old for this kind of role – some may argue he’s already past that point.
However, Ford recently made it clear that he IS Indiana Jones and that role cannot be played by anyone else: “Nobody is going to be Indiana Jones, don’t you get it? I’m Indiana Jones. When I’m gone, he’s gone. It’s easy. Get it through your crystal skulls, boys! When Harrison Ford dies, Indy goes with him.”
This is despite Disney boss Bob Iger saying in 2016 that he would recast Indy (here).
Ford added to this, saying: “This is a hell of a way to tell Chris Pine… I’m sorry, man.” This is clearly a fun poke at all the past rumors that Pratt was due to take over with the iconic hat and whip (here).
But, fact is, Ford is right and he IS Indiana Jones and no-one else is imaginable taking over that role that is so identified with him.
What say you all? Let me know your thoughts…
Indiana Jones 5 is currently set for a July 29th, 2022 release.
Marc
Marc is a self-confessed nerd. Ever since seeing Star Wars for the first time around 1979 he’s been an unapologetic fan of the Wars and still believes, with Clone Wars and now Underworld, we are yet to see the best Star Wars. He’s a dad of two who now doesn’t have the time (or money) to collect the amount of toys, comics, movies and books he once did, much to the relief of his long-suffering wife. In the real world he’s a graphic designer. He started Following the Nerd because he was tired of searching a million sites every day for all the best news that he loves and decided to create one place where you can go to get the whole lot. Secretly he longs to be sitting in the cockpit of his YT-1300 Corellian Transport ship with his co-pilot Chewie, roaming the universe, waiting for his next big adventure, but feels just at home watching cartoons with his kids….
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