At the Empire Awards last night, Steven Spielberg revealed that the long-awaited, and soon to heavily scrutinized, Indiana Jones V will start filming in the United Kingdom, April 2019. Below is Spielberg's quote:
“It’s always worth the trip when I get to work with this deep bench of talent coming out of the UK. The actors, and the crew, the chippies, the sparks, the drivers — everybody who has helped me make my movies here, and will continue helping me make my movies here when I come back in April 2019 to make the fifth Indiana Jones movie right here.” (source Comingsoon.net).
AFJ's Take: Though we love to hear about another Indiana Jones with Spielberg at the helm, Harrison Ford under the fedora, and George Lucas in retirement, we are cautiously optimistic. Ready Player One, Spielberg's next film (arriving March 30th), might be his last test for his old and die-hard fans. Though his recent films, The Post and Bridge of Spies, have been critically successful, they show the signs of an older more mature filmmaker. His earlier work was that of a dreamer who inspired people with his unique vision and childlike perspective of the world. How does that apply to Indiana Jones? Well, that's the key to a successful fifth film. Spielberg needs to bring back that boyish wonder he had when he made his earlier pictures and meld that with the grizzled older filmmaker he has become. Give us an Indiana Jones who is facing a changing world, growing old, give us one hell of a McGuffin, and make the film fun like all the Spielberg films we remember.
Indiana Jones V is slated for July 10th, 2020 and is currently being written by David Koepp.