Steven Spielberg No Longer Directing ‘Indiana Jones 5,’ James Mangold In Talks To Replace

Indiana Jones 5 is facing the beginning of a new era. After holding the reins of the franchise in its 39-year history, Steven Spielberg is handing the ropes to a new director.

According to Variety, Ford v Ferrari director James Mangold is in talks to take over. If this deal pushes through, this would be the second franchise handled by Mangold. The first would be the Wolverine franchise. The first film The Wolverine debuted in 2013 and earned over $414 million dollars worldwide. 2017’s Logan, on the other hand, was a blockbuster and it earned $619 million dollars worldwide. It also earned Mangold his first Oscar nomination for adapted screenplay.

Since the making of Indiana Jones 5 was announced in 2016, the movie had gone through numerous changes. Disney originally slated the film for a July 19, 2019 release. Then, it was pushed back to July 10, 2020. In 2019, the film experienced a shakeup with its writers. When Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull David Koepp left the project, he was replaced by Solo: A Star Wars Story scribe Jonathan Kasdan. This, in turn, delayed the release date further to July 9, 2021.

Unlike his other movie franchises like Jurassic Park and Jaws, Spielberg has kept a tight hold on Indiana Jones. He has been directing every single film since its debut in 1981. His most recent film in the franchise was Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It was a global hit and earned $790.6 million worldwide. Although the acclaimed director won’t be in the director’s chair for Indiana Jones 5, he’ll still remain as a hands-on producer.

According to sources, it was Spielberg’s own decision to step down. The director wanted to pass Indy’s whip to a new generation to bring their perspective into the story. With that, the only remaining constant in the film is its lead Harrison Ford.

While promoting his film The Call of The Wild, Ford told CBS Morning that he was about to start shooting in two months’ time for Indiana Jones 5. Then, a few days later, the actor told HeyUGuys that the project is still facing some scheduling issues. He also revealed that they are determined to get it right along with the script before they start it.

With a new director at the helm of Indiana Jones 5, the premiere date might again be moved. But, if there’s one thing for sure, it’s that it would be interesting to see what Mangold brings to the franchise.