It’s been a while since we’ve last heard about the chaotic production of the latest Indiana Jones movie. The movie has undergone so many production changes and catastrophes that it’s easy to forget that a fifth movie is still being made. Now, it’s being reported that what came out of this production is no better… Let’s investigate.
Indiana Jones 5’s production woes
Credit: Disney
READ MORE: Indiana Jones Series In The Works For Disney Plus
The movie was supposed to be many things. In 2016, Disney announced that it would be released in 2019, with Steven Spielberg directing it. It was initially reported that George Lucas would not be involved in the project, to which Spielberg responded by saying it didn’t make any sense to have an Indy movie without George Lucas. Eventually, it was announced that Lucas wouldn’t be part of the project. The movie underwent many rewrites, with the script being completely scrapped and redone multiple times. Creative differences between Harrison Ford, Steven Spielberg and Disney prevented it from going anywhere.
Steven Spielberg stepped down as director, and James Mangold took over in 2020. Shooting began on June 4. Three weeks later, Ford injured his shoulder while rehearsing a fight scene, causing him to stop shooting for three months. A stunt double, Mike Massa, performed in place of Ford throughout the Glasgow shoot, with motion capture markers applied to his face. On November 4th, a camera operator named Nic Cupac was found dead in his Morocco hotel room; Disney stated that his death was not production related, but the incident still cast yet another shadow over the project.
Although Steven Spielberg had initially rejected the idea of Ford being digitally de-aged for the movie, wanting to acknowledge his age, it seems like the actor is indeed going to be de-aged for a portion of the movie: Exclusive footage – included shots of a de-aged Ford – was shown to attendees at the D23 Expo in September 2022.
What came out of the test screenings
Credit: Disney
READ MORE: Harrison Ford Reportedly Joining The MCU
Now, 15 years after the not-so-well-remembered Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, we have a 5th movie that faced multiple production issues, delays and scandals, to finally get to the screening test part… to only get worse. Disney seems to be in complete panic over the movie. Read what Hollywood leaker Overlord DVD has to say about it:
From what my Hollywood spies are telling me, it’s only gotten worse… Disney is so upset over this situation. When Disney announced the one-year delay in the release date, I was told Disney was mandating reshoots for this atrocity in an effort to avert disaster. But now given some brand new information provided to me by my Hollywood spies, I honestly don’t know what the hell they were doing this last year because from what I’m hearing, Indiana Jones 5 is a genuine s***show, a bomb just waiting to explode in theatres that will forever tarnish the brand and ruin Indiana Jones.
The scooper doesn’t stop there:
I was contacted by someone on the set of Indiana Jones 5 who was alarmed and revolted by what they read in the script.
The scooper concluded:
According to my Hollywood spies…this film has not been saved by the reshoots, far from it. Disney is panicking because it’s so bad they don’t know what to do to save it.
What caused this outrage
Credit: Lucasfilm
READ MORE: Harrison Ford Doesn’t Want Chris Pratt To Play Indiana Jones
Supposedly, six different endings have been tested, and audiences haven’t liked any of them. What follows may contain potential spoilers!
The least popular ending shown during one of the test screenings had Phoebe-Waller Bridge replacing Harrison Ford at the end of the movie. This would set up the franchise for further sequels… with Ford not returning. Another unpopular conclusion showed Ford’s Indiana Jones dying.
Allegedly the storyline begins in the 1960s with Indiana Jones and his goddaughter Helena, played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge. They apparently go back in time via a portal at Stonehenge to both the Roman era (as seen in set photos) and to the 1930s during the time of the original films. Once there, the old Indy meets his young version. In one of 6 different endings, both are killed off before Phoebe takes up the hat and whip as a female incarnation of the character.
What do you guys think of this? I think this whole story is heartbreaking, both production-wise and story-wise. Having such a popular, beloved character and story, and trying to milk out everything possible is yet another proof that certain characters and stories should remain in their time. Trying to revive them in our generation seems almost always doomed, and the Indy case is about to prove it.
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