As Lucasfilmrecalibrates the futureof itsStar Warsfranchise, the company is pressing forward with its other marquee property, asJonathan Kasdan(Solo: A Star Wars Story) has signed on to replaceDavid Koeppas the writer ofIndiana Jones 5, multiple sources tell Collider.
Representatives for Kasdan and Disney/Lucasfilm had no comment. ProducerFrank Marshalldid not respond to a request for comment, nor did Koepp or his representatives.
Steven Spielbergis directing the sequel, which will starHarrison Fordin what will likely be his final turn as the daring archaeologist according to media reports that point to Indy’s whip being passed down to a young actor – or perhaps, actress. Koepp was hired to write theIndy 5script in 2016, having written the previous installment in the series, 2008’sIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. He has been one of Spielberg’s go-to scribes for years, writing such films asJurassic Park,The Lost WorldandWar of the Worlds, not to mention non-Spielberg blockbusters likeSpider-ManandMission: Impossible.
This past March, Spielberg announced plans to start production onIndy 5in the U.K. in April 2019, as the tentpole is slated to hit theaters on June 01, 2025. The previous four films in theIndiana Jonesseries have collectively grossed nearly $2 billion worldwide, and after the mixed response toCrystal Skull, Spielberg is pulling out all the stops to send Ford’s Indy off on a high note – should Kasdan inherit the previously reported plan to pass the franchise torch to a younger actor in this film.
And that’s the thing. We don’t know the nature of Kasdan’s gig, so there are a few things we want to get straight. We aren’t sure if he’s rewriting Koepp’s existing script, or merely doing a two-week polish, or if he’s starting completely from scratch. We also don’t know if Kasdan is writing the script with a partner – perhaps his father,Lawrence Kasdan, with whom he wroteSolo, and who countsRaiders of the Lost Arkamong his many credits. We also don’t know when Koepp left the project or when Kasdan was hired, be it before or afterSoloopened below expectations, so it’s possible that he has been working onIndy 5for some time now. As for who will ultimately get credit, we’ll leave that up to the WGA to decide.
Prior to co-writing and co-producingSolo, Kasdan wrote and directedThe First TimestarringBritt RobertsonandDylan O’Brien, andIn the Land of WomenstarringMeg Ryan,Adam BrodyandKristen Stewart. He also wrote for two of my favorite childhood shows –Dawson’s CreekandFreaks and Geeks. Kasdan is represented by WME.
However,Indiana Jones 5has now been delayed. For more on that story,click here.
Additional reporting on this story by Steve Weintraub.
