Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg has stepped down from the director’s chair of Indiana Jones 5 and is reportedly handing the directing reigns to Ford v Ferrari’s James Mangold.
It would seem that the most shocking Indiana Jones story is that they are actually producing a fifth movie in the franchise. However, it appears that the project may have an equally, if not more shocking recent development.
According to a recent report. Steven Spielberg will be stepping down as director, after being at the helm of all four previous installments including Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and the polarizing, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
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In the report, Variety gave this explanation for Spielberg’s departure from the untitled, Indiana Jones 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.
While that seems like a simple explanation, there could be more behind the decision. The entire Indiana Jones franchise was imagined by George Lucas and Spielberg over forty years ago. It was intended to harken back to the black and white adventure serials of the 1920’s and 30’s.
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While these films captured the imagination of the young filmmakers while they were kids. There are new reference points for classic adventure serials for the modern generation. Surely the thought process is that a younger director may be able to connect to the material better for contemporary audiences.
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Additionally, Lucas sold LucasFilm to Disney years ago, including the rights to the Star Wars and the Indiana Jones franchise. The upcoming fifth installment was expected to be the first film to not have Lucas producing and overlooking the story and production. This surely seems to be a demotivating factor, as Spielberg and Lucas aren’t just collaborators, but true friends.
