Hollywood director Steven Spielberg has confirmed that Indiana Jones 5 will be the last time Harrison Ford will essay the iconic character. Spielberg, whose Ready Player One is currently playing in theatres, (not Indian ones due to some unknown reason), is also open to a female-led Indiana Jones film. He says the film would be called Indiana Joan then.
“We’d have to change the name from Jones to Joan. And there would be nothing wrong with that,” he said. The director of countless blockbusters like Jurassic Park, E.T. the Extra Terrestrial and Jaws went on to confirm that Harrison Ford would play the archaeologist and adventurer for the last time in Indiana Jones 5. “This will be Harrison Ford’s last Indiana Jones movie. I am pretty sure, but it will certainly continue after that.”
Indiana Jones was voted as the best movie character of all time last year, beating Batman and Harrison Ford’s own Star Wars character Han Solo. Hollywood was rocked with sexual harassment and misconduct scandals last year, beginning with scores of women accusing film producer Harvey Weinstein of rape and sexual assault. Several other bigwigs like Kevin Spacey and Dustin Hoffman were accused by many men and women subsequently.
These scandals and the backlash gave birth to movements like MeToo and Time’s Up. Since then there has been a wave of militant feminism in the film industry. Film studios and executives are actively encouraging women to take up lead roles. Better representation of oppressed minorities, races is also being given more focus.
Spielberg who has long been an advocate of the movements said, “I have been very lucky to be influenced by women, several of whom I have just loved madly — my mom and my wife,” the director, who has been a strong advocate for the Time’s Up campaign for gender equality, said.
A female Indiana Jones (Joan, my bad) sounds good. I am all for it. But it would be important to differentiate her from Lara Croft. Also, Indiana Joan lacks imagination. And why would her surname be changed instead of her first name?