Yesterday a fifth Indiana Jones film was officially confirmed by Lucasfilm, and a new report says Harrison Ford will appear.
When Disney purchased Lucasfilm, there was some question as to whether or not Disney would be able to make any film in the Indiana Jones franchise. After Star Wars, Indiana Jones was obviously the biggest Lucasfilm property that Disney could cash in on. Unfortunately for Disney, Paramount already had the rights to distribute all the Indy films, and that didn’t change with Disney’s purchase.
However, it didn’t take long until Disney and Paramount were able to come to an agreement. Paramount agreed to let Disney distribute any future Indiana Jones films with the caveat that they would receive a small portion of the royalties from whatever Indy movies Disney made.
Before that deal was completed, there was a rumor floating around that star Harrison Ford demanded another Indiana Jones film in return for his return as Han Solo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. That rumor was never confirmed, but Ford has always loved the franchise and it makes sense that he would want to return.
Even since then, however, all the talk around the series has been that it would be a reboot, possibly starring Chris Pratt. What gives?
According to a new report, Ford will be in the confirmed Indiana Jones film. “I can confidently tell you that a new Indiana Jones movie won’t leave Harrison Ford out completely,” SlashFilm’s Peter Sciretta wrote in a great article that breaks down George Lucas’ involvement in both the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises.
Sciretta also writes that while Pratt is someone Lucasfilm is looking at, he’s certainly not a lock to become the next Indiana Jones. Apparently it all comes down to his work in Jurassic World and the film’s success.
So if Pratt or another actor becomes the new Indy in Indiana Jones 5, where does Ford fit in? According to the report, the film could begin with Ford in an action scene as an older Indiana Jones or feature him in a fatherly role similar to Sean Connery’s in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, though Sciretta’s report says the second option is less likely given that Disney won’t be bringing back Shia LaBeouf.