'Indiana Jones' News: Steven Spielberg Teases Female Twist for Franchise's Future
"Indiana Jones 5" is expected to be Harrison Ford's final turn as the whip-wielding and fedora hat-toting archaeologist. However, director Steven Spielberg is positive the series will go on and already has an idea what it will look like.
When the fifth film in the beloved franchise was first announced a few years back, there was word that Ford will be passing the torch to the next generation.
Names of several actors immediately floated around as possible successors including Chris Pratt, who was then earning praises for his work in the successful "Jurassic Park" reboot "Jurassic World," which was directed by Spielberg as well.
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However, it seems that the filmmaker has something else in mind. The director said in an interview with The Sun that it might be time for Indiana Jones to take "a different form," suggesting the introduction of a female Indy.
"We'd have to change the name from Jones to Joan," Spielberg said, an idea that also allows him to make good with his statement that Ford is and will be the only Indiana Jones.
"And there would be nothing wrong with that," he added of the female twist, already addressing the expected backlash from some fans who would not want the idea of the iconic character getting gender-swapped.
He then gushed about the beautiful and amazing women in his life. "My mom was strong. She had a voice, she had a very strong opinion. I have been very lucky to be influenced by women, several of whom I have just loved madly — my mom and my wife," he went on to say.
As a side note, Spielberg met his wife Kate Capshaw in 1984 on the set of "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," where she appeared as Willie Scott.
Spielberg has been a vocal proponent of the Time's Up movement, advocating gender equality and equal pay for lead actors and actresses, which is what he made sure of in his latest film "Ready Player One" as well as in the one before that, "The Post," which starred Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks.
The director noting that the "Indiana Jones" franchise will "certainly continue" after Ford's last "Indiana Jones" movie suggests that he will be heavily involved in making "Indiana Joan" as well. It is unknown if the upcoming film will set up the entrance of a new female lead.
For now, however, nothing is set in stone yet. Spielberg and Ford are set to reunite for "Indiana Jones 5" in April next year. Filming will be in the UK, as he recently announced at the Rakuten TV Empire Awards.
There is no word yet on who will join Ford in the cast, but details should arrive in the coming months. David Koepp was tapped to write the script, but no information has been revealed yet as to what Indy's final adventure will entail.
Indiana Jones will be the third iconic character that Ford revisits. He reprised his role as Han Solo in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and then came back as Rick Deckard in "Blade Runner 2049."
"Indiana Jones 5" is set for release on July 19, 2020.
