Indiana Jones
And The Lost
Director
Steven Spielberg has stepped
down fromIndiana Jones 5.
James Mangold is reportedly
taking his place. TwoEmpire
writers process the shock news
STEVEN SPIELBERG IS THE
HEART AND SOUL OF INDY
IAN FREER
STEVEN SPIELBERG HAS walked
awayfrom projects before. The
filmmaker spent five months developing the
screenplay for 1988’sRain Man, working closely
with Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise before
exiting to makeIndiana Jones And The Last
Crusadeinstead. In 2012, he was all set to shoot
Robopocalypse, actors cast, location locked —
whenscripting issues halted things. FromJaws
onwards, he has always been the most mercurial
filmmaker, letting his heart choose his art.
While there could be any number of factors
that caused Spielberg to hang up the fedora —
perhaps he was dissatisfied with a script
that’s bounced around different writers; maybe
he didn’t fancy the year-away-from-home
commitment it takes to make a blockbuster
— there is something sad, and somehow wrong,
about Indy without Spielberg. No-one working
today can bring the briskness, invention, wit and
humanity Spielberg can bring to adventure
movies in general and Dr Jones in particular.
His chemistry and rapport with Harrison Ford
is an important element in the movies’ success.
Conceived at Hawaii’s Mauna Kea Beach
hotel, Indy is also a product of the alchemy
between Spielberg and George Lucas. It thrums
with the ‘giddy as a schoolboy’ effervescence
from two old friends having fun. Key players
like editor Michael Kahn and composer John
Williams provide the pulse and soul of the
archaeologist’s adventures. Without these titans,
will the magic still be there? It’s tough to see it.
If there’s an upside to Spielberg ’s departure,
perhaps it will give him a chance to realise long-
cherished ideas (DC adaptationBlackhawk;
passion projectThe Kidnapping Of Edgardo
Mortara). But whoever takes the Indy reins,
it just won’t be the same. Perhaps it’s time to
recast/reboot, and let Spielberg, Lucas, Ford and
Williams ride into that sunset together. At least
the years and the mileage have been spectacular.JAMES MANGOLD HAS THE
VERSATILITY INDY NEEDS
PRISCILLA PAGE
IF ANYONE HAS to take over
fromSteven Spielberg forIndiana
Jones 5, James Mangold seems like a smart move.
The news has been met with some surprise, and
certainly the director’s eclectic filmography
offers no obvious link to the dashing archaeologist.
But there’s plenty of evidence that he’s the right
guy to take on the icon.
If, as widely expected, the fifthIndiana Jones
will be a send-off to an ageing, belovedcharacter,
Mangold has shown he can handle such material
inLogan, his 2017 superhero swansong.And
though Indy’s world isn’t asdark asLogan’s,
Mangold has proved, fromaction-comedyKnight
And Dayto last year’s buddy movieFord v Ferrari,
that he can use a lighter touch.
He’s a filmmaker who prioritises characters
and their stories above all else, as shown by
a varied output that includes Johnny Cash
biopicWalk The Line, Western remake3:10
To Yuma, psychological thrillerIdentityand
time-travelling romcomKate & Leopold. He’s
a multifaceted director who can comfortably
inhabit any genre to tell a story. And Mangold
has demonstrated in many films that action isone of his strengths.The Wolverine’s bullet-train
fight ranks among the best set pieces of the
decade, and though there are some digital effects
to bringFord v Ferrari’s world to life, Mangold
eschewed green screen for real stunts, and the
result is visceral, raw and fun — exactly the right
tone forIndiana Jones.
Spielberg and Indy seem inextricable. But
a pair of fresh eyes could revive the franchise.
And Spielberg hasn’t abandoned us completely
— he’s sticking around to produce, meaning this
has the potential to be a fruitful and symbiotic
collaboration. Perhaps James Mangold is just
what Indy needs to bring back his edge.No./ 16
Top to bottom:Ford in his most recent outing as Indy;
Mangold onthe set ofLogan; Spielberg onCrystal Skull.AlamyPREVIEW