“Indiana Jones” will return to theaters on July 19, 2019, for a fifth film in the hit franchise, Disney announced Tuesday.
Steven Spielberg, who directed all four previous films, will direct the still-untitled project, but Harrison Ford is set to reprise his iconic role.
Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall will produce.
“Indiana Jones is one of the greatest heroes in cinematic history, and we can’t wait to bring him back to the screen in 2019,” said Alan Horn, chairman of the Walt Disney Studios. “It’s rare to have such a perfect combination of director, producers, actor and role, and we couldn’t be more excited to embark on this adventure with Harrison and Steven.”
Ford first made his debut as archaeologist and explorer Indiana Jones in 1981’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” He reprised the role in 1984’s “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” 1989’s “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” and 2008’s “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.”
The films have grossed nearly $2 billion at the global box office.
Kennedy said last May that another Indy movie “will one day be made inside this company,” and Spielberg is confident that there are plenty of adventures to choose from as Hollywood’s most famous archaeologist continues to enjoy his years as a senior citizen.
In December, Spielberg added that he couldn’t imagine any other actor playing Indiana Jones.
“It’s certainly not my intention to ever have another actor step into his shoes in the way there have been many actors that have played Spider-Man or Batman,” he said. “There is only going to be one actor playing Indiana Jones and that’s Harrison Ford.”