One day after hearing that "scheduling issues" and "script things" were possibly going to cause a delay for Indiana Jones V, Variety has dropped one helluva bombshell: according to them, Steven Spielberg has opted out of directing this long-gestating sequel, and James Mangold (Logan, Ford V. Ferrari, the criminally undervalued Identity) is currently in talks to take over the project.
Says Variety:
"Spielberg will remain as a hands-on producer on Indy 5. According to a source close to the filmmaker, the decision to leave the director’s chair was entirely Spielberg’s, in a desire to pass along Indy’s whip to a new generation to bring their perspective to the story."
Well, this is a truly shocking turn of events. Indiana Jones has always been Spielberg's baby, and it's long seemed as though Indy V was being made largely as a means for giving The Beard a shot at leaving the franchise on a high note (in other words: something of a course correction after the unfortunate Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull). We'd heard Indy V was navigating choppy waters on its way through pre-production, but at no point did we ever imagine that Spielberg might walk away from the film, or that someone else might come in to tackle it.
Much to consider. Much to unpack. Please do so now in the comments below, and stay tuned for further Indy V updates as they roll in. If anyone needs us, we'll just be over here, reeling at the news above.