Indiana-JonesWhen Disney bought Lucasfilm last year, Star Wars wasn’t the only property that the studio was interested in. Until now, a question mark has remained over the future of Indiana Jones, with Paramount responsible for its distribution, even though Disney acquired the ownership rights to the franchise.

But now the two studios have hashed out a deal that grants Disney the distributing and marketing rights for any future films, whilst leaving Paramount responsible for the continued distribution of the first four films.

Whilst Disney hasn’t officially announced that a fifth film is on the way, it’s likely just a matter of time. And given that the Lucasfilm purchase and Star Wars Episode VII announcement came in one fell swoop, you can be pretty sure that Indiana Jones 5 news isn’t far off.

The film has been in development at Lucasfilm for years now, with Lucas himself talking in recent years of still needing to find the MacGuffin for the next instalment.

Sources suggest that Steven Spielberg is still interested in returning to the helm for a sequel, but, as ever, the story would need to be settled on before the director commits to anything.

Whilst Lucas may have sold his stake in his company to Disney, it’s likely that he’ll be involved in at least some capacity if (and when) the official announcement for Indiana Jones 5 comes. And Harrison Ford has always been interested in donning the hat and whip for another go around.

The rumours have been swelling for months of Harrison Ford’s return as Han Solo for 2015’s Star Wars Episode VII, but he’s 71 now, and coming back for another action blockbuster as Indie could be a little more of a tall order than bringing Han Solo back, presuming the studio wants to introduce a younger cast to take over the franchise on that front. That being said, Ford has showed no signs of slowing down in recent years, with 2011’s Cowboys & Aliens putting him in the line of fire, and more recently joining Sylvester Stallone’s roster for The Expendables 3, so there’s no questioning that he’s game for more if it’s on the table.

You can bet that Disney won’t have worked hard to make a deal with Paramount for nothing, so expect official confirmation on Indiana Jones 5 pretty much any day now.

 

Source: via Variety.