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Steven Spielberg Is Out As Indiana Jones 5 Director

Logan, Ford v Ferrari director James Mangold in talks to replace him.

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Longtime Indiana Jones director Steven Spielberg is no longer leading the upcoming Indy 5 installment, according to Variety.

While Disney has yet to comment on the matter and no one is confirmed to take Spielberg's place as director of Indiana Jones 5, James Mangold (Ford v Ferrari, Logan) is reportedly in talks to take the job. Spielberg, meanwhile, will remain as a hands-on producer of Indiana Jones 5. Variety's sources said Spielberg chose to step away from directing because he felt "a desire to pass along Indy 5’s whip to a new generation to bring their perspectives to the story."

This doesn't change Harrison Ford's attachment to the film, who earlier this month said Indiana Jones 5 was scheduled to start shooting in "about two months."

Mangold has directed, written, and produced several films in the past--including 1999's Cop Land and 2005's Walk the Line--but he's perhaps best known for taking over the Wolverine franchise with the 2013 entry The Wolverine. 2017's Logan scored Mangold a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay at that year's Academy Awards ceremony, while 2019's Ford v Ferrari put him in the running for Best Picture at this year Academy Awards. The coveted accolade went to Bong Joon-Ho's Parasite, which was also the first South Korean film to win Best Picture.

Indiana Jones 5 has seen a number of setbacks since first being announced in 2016. The film had been delayed out of its original July 2020 release and has incurred a few script issues the team is still "trying" to iron out. With Spielberg out as director, it's possible Indy 5 will miss its newly-planned July 2021 theatrical release. An official name has yet to be revealed, but Indiana Jones 5 is said to be a "continuation" of the franchise.

This news comes not long after Disney CEO Bob Iger, who held the position for 15 years, stepped down and handed the keys to the kingdom to another Bob.

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