Is Indiana Jones 5 going to happen? We keep getting mixed signals about it. First Harrison Ford said cameras were ready to roll in a matter of months; then he claimed there were “scheduling issues” holding things up. Now, according to Variety, there’s a much bigger issue: The director of every Indiana Jones movie to date won’t be back for this one.

That man is, of course, Steven Spielberg. But apparently Spielberg has turned down the chance to direct Indiana Jones 5 in order to work on other projects. Instead, producers are apparently looking at Logan and Ford v Ferrari director James Mangold to direct in his place:

Sources say that while a deal hasn’t closed, “Ford v Ferrari” director James Mangold is in talks to take the job. Mangold has been put in this situation before when he took over the “Wolverine” franchise; 2017’s “Logan” was a blockbuster, grossing $619 million globally, and earned Mangold an Oscar nomination for best adapted screenplay. Spielberg will remain as a hands-on producer on “Indy 5.” According to a source close to the filmmaker, the decision to leave the director’s chair was entirely Spielberg’s, in a desire to pass along Indy’s whip to a new generation to bring their perspective to the story.

Can you imagine replacing Steven Spielberg as the director of any project? (It has happened before; Jaws had several sequels, none directed by Spielberg.) That is a thankless task. Mangold is a skilled filmmaker, though, and could bring some old man Indiana Jones energy to the film. If things pan out, Indiana Jones 5 is currently scheduled to be released on July 9, 2021.

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