Lucasfilm's second most popular franchise is set to receive its fifth installment with Indiana Jones 5 in 2023, 15 years after its predecessor, which almost breaks Harrison Ford's one condition for doing it. The last Indiana Jones film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, was released in 2008, with the next installment said to be a direct sequel featuring time travel elements. However, the serious delays faced by the production have jeopardized several aspects of the movie, including Ford's own involvement.
When it does eventually release, Indiana Jones 5 will no doubt aim to receive a better critical response than the consensus handed to the franchise's previous installment. The long-awaited blockbuster is being directed by James Mangold, with Harrison Ford reprising his role as the world-famous archeologist, Dr. Henry Jones in the 2023 film. Ford will be joined by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Boyd Holbrook, and Antonio Banderas in his next adventure.
Indiana Jones 5 almost broke Harrison Ford's one rule for doing the film, which he specified in a 2008 interview during the press tour for Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. In the interview, Ford stated that he would be willing to return for a fifth Indy installment as long as it does not take 20 years to make, a timer that is slowly running out. Indiana Jones 5 is currently slated for release on June 3oth, 2023, creating a 15-year gap between Indy's next crusade and his last. Indiana Jones 5 has therefore almost surpassed the expiration date set by Ford, which in turn revealed two key insights regarding the production of Indy's next archeological escapade. The 15-year wait for Indiana Jones 5 emphasizes the number of delays the movie experienced, an issue that was made worse by the still-ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. However, the fact that he is still involved despite these difficulties arguably proves that Ford's return was inevitable regardless of how long the movie took to make since he is the face of the franchise.
Indiana Jones 5 has had a rocky production for the get-go, with multiple script rewrites and numerous delays plaguing the film since the project began in 2009. The highly-anticipated release originally had a 2019 release date, but a combination of delays and setbacks pushed Indiana Jones 5 back year after year until it settled on its current summer 2023 date. Nevertheless, despite the problems, the constant delays actually indicate that Ford was bound to reprise his role as Jones no matter how long the film took to make. Harrison Ford has played Indiana Jones for 40 years and has become synonymous with the role. Therefore, an Indy film without Ford's involvement might simply not work.
While it is baffling that the direct sequel to Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will release 15 years later, it luckily falls within Ford's 20-year timeframe. Not much is known about the upcoming installment since Lucasfilm is yet to any information regarding the plot or the cast, most of which are newcomers to the franchise. However, more details are bound to be revealed as the current 2023 release date for Indiana Jones 5 inches closer.
