Screenwriter David Koepp confirms that when Steven Spielberg dropped out of directing Indiana Jones 5, he dropped out of writing it.
It seems almost traditional now that an Indiana Jones film goes through a fair few delays and script changes on its way to the big screen. Indiana Jones 5 is certainly no exception, with the movie having being pushed back a couple of times thus far. It’s now due in July 2022, and notably, it’s got a different director for the first time in the series’ movie history.
Steven Spielberg had opted not to direct the film himself, and instead Le Mans 66 and Logan helmer James Mangold is taking the job on. And in line with that, screenwriter David Koepp – who had been working on the new movie – has dropped away from the project too.
In an interview with Collider, Koepp said that he wasn’t involved with the film anymore, and that “when James Mangold came in… he deserves a chance to take his shot at it. I’d done several versions with Steven. And when Steven left, it seemed like the right time to let Jim have his own take on it and have his own person or himself write it”.
Now this doesn’t mean that Koepp’s work has been entirely junked, just that Mangold is going to have space to follow the story for Indy that he wants to. Filming is set to begin next year, if all goes to plan, and Harrison Ford will be back in the lead role. But clearly, there’s still some road ahead of this one…
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