Disney has delayed the release date for the anticipated fifth installment of its Indiana Jones franchise almost a full year. The studio announced today that it has pushed back the distribution of the follow-up to 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull from July 29, 2022, to June 30, 2023.
Not much has been known about the plot of the upcoming action-adventure film, which is still untitled. But the series’ fourth sequel was written by Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth and James Mangold, the latter of whom is also directing the feature.
Steven Spielberg is returning to the franchise as a producer on the fifth entry, after he helmed the first four installments.
Harrison Ford is also returning to the series, by reprising his title role of Indiana Jones. He’ll be joined on screen by Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal), Boyd Holbrook (The Predator), Shaunette Renée Wilson (The Resident) and Antonio Banderas.
Production on Indiana Jones 5 was first announced in 2016, after Disney acquired the movie’s production company, Lucasfilm, in 2012. Since the follow-up’s announcement, it has encountered a number of production problems, including going through multiple writers and a director changes.
Indiana Jones 5 eventually announced it began production earlier this year. The sequel is still in the middle of principal photography, as Ford suffered a shoulder injury on-set. Mangold stated over the summer that he was still shooting scenes for the movie that didn’t involve the Oscar-nominated actor while he was recovering. Ford has since returned to work, but it’s unknown how much longer the follow-up has to go before it wraps its shoot.
Indiana Jones 5 isn’t the only Disney film whose release date has been delayed. The studio has also announced it has pushed back the distribution of a few other anticipated sequels, including Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Variety has reported that Disney’s widespread release changes are related to production delays, as opposed to their box office prospects.