In today’s Weeks of Geek: Indiana Jones entry, we take a look at the future of the Indiana Jones film franchise as envisioned by executive producer George Lucas.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is set to make its debut tomorrow at the 61st Cannes Film Festival with Lucas in attendance. While at the festival this weekend, Lucas told Fox News that he and director Steven Spielberg have left the door open for a fifth Indiana Jones movie, which would be a direct sequel to Crystal Skull.
The catch? Harrison Ford, aka Indiana Jones, might not be the star of the film — that distinction would go to Shia LaBeouf, who plays Indy’s new sidekick Mutt Williams in Crystal Skull.
LaBeouf’s character is rumored to be Indy’s son with his Raiders of the Lost Ark love interest Marion Ravenwood, the role Karen Allen reprised for the upcoming fourth film. Lucas’s statement to Fox about a fifth movie seems to inadvertently confirm the rumor.
“I haven’t even told Steven or Harrison this,” he said. “But I have an idea to make Shia [LeBeouf] the lead character next time and have Harrison [Ford] come back like Sean Connery did in the last movie. I can see it working out.
Connery played Indy’s estranged father Henry Jones, Sr. in the third film, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. While Connery had spent years playing one of the world’s most famous screen heroes James Bond, in Last Crusade his character was an umbrella-toting scholarly old gentleman, not the physical action hero like Indy was — and at 65 years old, still is.
In this summer’s third Mummy film, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperior, it’s said that franchise star Brendan Fraser’s role as adventurer Rick O’Connell has been relegated to make room for a younger hero, Rick’s now-adult son Alex. Apparently, Lucas would be downgrading Ford similarly for a future Indiana Jones movie.
But what does Ford think about that? He evaded the question when MTV asked him this weekend at Cannes.
“I have no cheeky answer for [that]. I just work here. I’m glad to work here … Till they tell me otherwise, I will continue to be Indiana Jones.”
That sounds like Ford will play Indiana Jones as long as they want him to, whether it’s as the headline star or in a supporting role.
While some people have criticized Ford’s age in relation to him being an action star, are people really ready for him to hand the reins over to a younger actor? Or would moviegoers be willing to see Ford back in action in full-force in a fifth movie?
LaBeouf let MTV know his thoughts on the subject:
“I know Harrison would love to,” LaBeouf countered, smiling. “I know that Harrison, when he’s 80, will still be jacked. Is there going to be an 80-year-old Indiana Jones? No one can say never.”
Fans of the Indy movies have waited over two decades for a fourth adventure, but will they take a fifth movie any way then can get it? Or, if the Indiana Jones character won’t be the main focus of next film, should the franchise just end with Crystal Skull?
What do you guys think?
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