Back in 2013, when news broke that Disney had acquired Lucasfilm, attention focused on the announced development of new Star Wars films. But the acquisition also opened the door to the continuation of the Indiana Jones franchise. While most film fans and pundits believed that Indy would return in some form at some point, early speculation favored the role being recast with a younger actor. As it turns out, the next Indy film will feature Harrison Ford, who will be 77 years old at the time of its filming.
The last film in the series, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, was largely panned by critics and fans alike. Because of that, news of a fifth film has been met with a tepid response. But there is one very good reason to remain hopeful that the new film will set the franchise right. From The Hollywood Reporter:
This will be the first Indiana Jones movie that does not include George Lucas’ participation. Lucas and Spielberg famously hatched the idea for the series while vacationing in Hawaii after the release of the first Star Wars movie, and Lucas served as executive producer of films in the series. In 2012, Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney.
Somewhere along the line, George Lucas lost whatever once made him a great storyteller. Between what he did with the Star Wars prequels and his peculiar direction with Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Lucas showed that he had lost touch with the movie-going audience. The success of Star Wars: The Force Awakens proves that his properties can thrive without him at the helm. With the remaining creative team including Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, and Kathleen Kennedy, there’s hope that the next Indy film will restore the good faith that Lucas squandered.
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