It’s been over 40 years since audiences were first introduced to the legendary adventurer and archaeologist Indiana Jones. The first film in the iconic franchise, “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” was released in 1981 and has since generated four more films, inspired several video games, and garnered a fiercely loyal fan base.
The upcoming film, which is currently recognized as “Indiana Jones 5,” wrapped production in February and will feature a star-studded cast that, of course, includes Harrison Ford, but it may be his last (more on that later).
Although it’s unfathomable to imagine the franchise without Ford, rumors did circulate in 2019 that “Jurassic World” actor Chris Pratt would replace Ford in a reboot of the Indiana Jones film. In a July episode of the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, Pratt jokingly said he didn’t want to replace the veteran actor, and for an amusing reason. “All I know is I once saw a quote from Harrison Ford, and I don’t even know if it was really him but it was enough to scare me, that was like, ‘When I die, Indiana Jones dies.’ And I’m like, am I going to get haunted by the ghost of Harrison Ford one day when he dies if I play . . . ?” Pratt said.
Though details of the movie have been kept under wraps, here’s all we know about the upcoming “Indiana Jones 5,” from the cast members to a release date!
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"Indiana Jones 5" Plot
Details of the fifth Indiana Jones film are limited. We can infer, however, that the film will center on the latest adventure of the franchise’s hero. The 2008 film “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” was set in 1957 and followed the character as he fought against the Soviet KGB.
In January 2021, “Indiana Jones 5” director James Mangold hinted at the film’s setting in a tweet, writing in part, “I’m mentally living in ’60s NYC right now cause that’s where all the movies I’m working on take place.”
Though details of the plot could have changed, there’s a chance Indiana Jones’s next adventure will take place in New York City during the 1960s.
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"Indiana Jones 5" Cast
You can’t have an Indiana Jones film, let alone the rumored last one, without the original star, Harrison Ford. Ford will reprise his role as Indiana Jones and star alongside a cast that includes Mads Mikkelsen, Antonio Banderas, Thomas Kretschmann, Boyd Holbrook, Shaunette Renée Wilson, and Toby Jones, per IndieWire. Phoebe Waller-Bridge also stars in the film as Helena, Indiana’s goddaughter, per Empire Magazine – a character she told the outlet is “a mystery and a wonder.”
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"Indiana Jones 5" Release Date
After several setbacks due to the pandemic and a conflicting schedule with producer Steven Spielberg, “Indiana Jones 5” is set to release on June 30, 2023, as reported by Deadline. As filming wrapped in February, the date is most likely firm, so mark your calendar for next summer.
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Is "Indiana Jones 5" Harrison Ford's Final Film in the Franchise?
In June, the Indiana Jones franchise’s composer, John Williams, 90, seemingly implied “Indiana Jones 5” would be Ford’s final film in the franchise while announcing he was stepping away from the films. “At the moment I’m working on ‘Indiana Jones 5,’ which Harrison Ford – who’s quite a bit younger than I am – I think has announced will be his last film,” Williams told the AP. “So, I thought: If Harrison can do it, then perhaps I can, also.”
Ford has neither confirmed nor denied Williams’s implication he’s leaving the franchise.