With the director reportedly moving to produce and James Mangold being talked up to replace him, you have to ask: is it worth it?
When to comes to Indiana Jones 5-based news, Steven Spielberg dropping out is pretty much the worst thing we could hear aside from “Harrison Ford denounces involvement and will be replaced by Chris Pratt.” According to a recent report from Variety, though, that is exactly what's happening: Spielberg, who has helmed every Indiana Jones film to date starting with the 1982 classic Raiders of the Lost Ark, has decided not to direct a fifth.
“At least there's no way to mess up the franchise further,” is what you're probably thinking at this stage. But you'd be wrong: Spielberg's shift from behind the camera hasn't put an end to the long-running series, since he plans to stay on in an executive producer capacity. Instead James Mangold, a director best known for his work on high-octane movies like Logan and recent Best Picture nominee Ford v Ferrari, is reportedly being considered as his replacement.
The possibility of a fifth Indiana Jones movie has been floating about ever since the last instalment, 2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, left the majority of fans in an uproar over its decision to go down the sci-fi route. But it wasn't just the alien story that rendered Crystal Skull as a disappointment: its reliance on a handing-over-the-whip father/son storyline, an irritating performance from Shia LaBeouf, and too much unnecessary CGI left audiences cold. Even Spielberg admitted he'd dropped the ball.
You have to wonder what Harrison Ford, now 76, will make of the news of Spielberg's departure, considering he once stated he'd never make an Indy flick without the iconic director at the helm. As for whether the franchise should even continue without Spielberg leading the charge is sure to provoke lots of debate amongst fans. Why, that would be like somebody other than George Lucas directing a Star Wars movie! Oh, wait.
