In the last decade, Harrison Ford has revisited two of the legendary roles that made him a Hollywood icon. He stepped back into the role of a slightly wiser but no less stubborn Han Solo in 2015’s The Force Awakens to guide the next generation of Star Wars heroes. It was a passing of the torch. Then, in 2017’s Blade Runner 2049, Ford’s haunted former replicant hunter Rick Deckard returned to the big screen, this time to help Ryan Gosling’s Agent K uncover an android conspiracy. The movie ends with K bleeding to death in the snow while Deckard is reunited with someone he thought he’d lost forever. A bittersweet ending to be sure.
With his roles in Star Wars and Blade Runner seemingly concluded, Ford now turns to his other iconic character: Indiana Jones. Indeed, 14 years on from the release of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the 78-year-old actor is now filming what could very well be his final outing as the whip-cracking archaeologist and pulp adventurer.
Production is kicking off in the UK, at Bamburgh Castle, a fortress located in the northeast coast of England that dates back to the 11th century. Its halls are also said to be haunted by a ghost called the Pink Lady, who allegedly has the some of the film crew spooked.
But a ghost isn’t going to stop Ford from suiting up for his latest big-screen hunt for ancient artifacts. In fact, photos from the set showing the actor back in costume as Indy have leaked online just as filming begins. Check them out below:
While Ford will have just turned 80 when the fifth installment hits theaters, the actor looks in remarkably good shape in these set photos. In the photos above, he’s shown chatting with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, who has worked on the Indiana Jones franchise since its onset in the role of producer. But while Ford and Kennedy are back in their respective roles, creators Steven Spielberg and George Lucas have stepped aside for the fifth installment.
Directing is James Mangold (Logan) from a script penned by himself, Jez Butterworth (Spectre), and John-Henry Butterworth (Ford v Ferrari). Originally, Spielberg and David Koepp (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) developed a story for the fifth movie, with the latter taking on scripting duties before being replaced by Jonathan Kasdan (Solo: A Star Wars Story) and Dan Fogelman (This Is Us), whose draft used “an entirely different premise.” By 2020, Spielberg had stepped aside to “pass along Indy’s whip to a new generation to bring their perspective to the story.” That’s where Mangold comes in.
So what do we know about the plot of this untitled Indy flick? Very little, as the story is being kept under wraps. But recent set photos have revealed that the movie will at the very least feature a flashback sequence where a younger Indy fights Nazis. In the pictures below, a body double can be seen donning a creepily realistic Harrison Ford mask for a scene in which Indy rides a motorcycle:
How Indy’s fascist-punching past ties into the plot of the new sequel remains a mystery, although it is great to see the character back doing what he does best just when we need it most.
The fifth installment also stars Mads Mikkelsen, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Boyd Holbrook, Thomas Kretschmann, and Shaunette Renée Wilson.
Indiana Jones 5 will arrive in theaters on July 29, 2022.