Steven Spielberg Will Not Direct the Fifth 'Indiana Jones' Movie

James Mangold is in talks to crack the whip

BY Calum SlingerlandPublished Feb 26, 2020

Nearly four years removed from Disney's confirmation of a fifth Indiana Jones film, director Steven Spielberg has exited the project.

As Variety reports, Spielberg will hand directorial duties for the franchise's forthcoming entry to a new director, which will mark the first Indiana Jones film he hasn't helmed.

The site notes that James Mangold is in talks to take over the film, though a deal has not been reached at present. Spielberg will reportedly remain as a "hands-on producer" for the project, with Variety adding that the decision to leave as director was entirely his own.

Upon announcing the project in 2016, Disney had initially set a July 2019 release date for the fifth Indiana Jones film. In June 2018, the film was pushed until 2021 following the departure of screenwriter David Koepp. Variety reports that Harrison Ford is still involved in the project.

The franchise's fourth and most recent film was 2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which raked in $790.6 million at the box office worldwide.

Latest Coverage