Sounds like Disney is getting antsy to get back into the rare antiquities business…
While the Mouse has been madly hammering away at a whole attack squadron of new Star Wars films, George Lucas’ “other” mega-franchise Indiana Jones has been quietly bidding its time in the post-merger era.
But according to Crave movie site Cinema Blend (as originally reported at Latino Review), Disney is ready to go forward with new Indiana Jones films — with or without Indy himself Harrison Ford.
Every few months, reporters ask Ford is he’s ready to once again pick up the fedora and bullwhip — and Ford nearly always says he’s game. But with Ford celebrating his 72nd birthday in July, Disney is looking at hard realities — and according to LR, their battle plan is more than ready to see a new Indy assume the role, ala James Bond.
“There is a date. And if Indiana Jones 5 is not moving forward by then, the studio is 100% prepared to recast a younger Dr. Jones and ready up a new trilogy.”
LR also reports Bradley Cooper is high on Disney’s wishlist to play Indy if a Ford deal doesn’t come together quickly — and director Frank Durabont is lining up as a potential writer-director for the new project should the new film not work into Steven Spielberg’s schedule.
Considering Disney negotiated a massive deal with Paramount last year to handle all new Indy projects, a post-Ford Indiana Jones adventure is inevitable. Just like Bond before him, we WILL see a new Indiana Jones on screen one of these days. At this point, it looks to be just a matter of whether or not we see one last Ford-fronted Indy flick before Dr. Jones reboots for a new generation.
