'Indiana Jones 5' loses sidekick Mutt Williams

The fifth "Indiana Jones" movie will go without Indiana Jones' long-lost son, Mutt Williams, who was introduced in 2008's critically disappointing "Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull."

Screenwriter and Spielberg collaborator David Koepp has confirmed that Mutt Williams, the new character and possible franchise successor introduced in "Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull," will not be returning in the next Indiana Jones movie.

Currently set for release in July 2020, Koepp intimated that "Indiana Jones 5" could be next up for Steven Spielberg.

The franchise begun with 1981's "Raiders of the Lost Ark," which was followed by "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" in 1984 and then "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" in 1989.

Each starred Harrison Ford as the lead character, a dry-witted college professor who in each film becomes entangled in a life-threatening, globetrotting pursuit of a precious and even supernaturally powerful relic.

After a 20-year break, fourth film "Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull" arrived and while its mixed critical response was on a par with those for "Temple of Doom" and "Last Crusade," the failure to live up to both "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and its audience's treasured memories endangered future box office returns.

The Mutt Williams character, played by Shia LeBeouf of "Transformers" fame, was not particularly well received.

David Koepp was credited with the screenplay for "Crystal Skull" and he's in place for 2020's movie too.

"Harrison plays Indiana Jones, that I can certainly say," Koepp told Entertainment Weekly, "and the Shia LaBeouf character [Mutt Williams] is not in the film."

Ford is the only actor confirmed for the 2020 film to date, with Koepp saying that there is "a script that we're mostly happy with" and a plot involving the familiar setup of "some precious artifact that they're all looking for."

Between now and 2020, Spielberg has government cover-up "The Post" set for December 2017, with Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks headlining, sci-fi adventure "Ready Player One" for 2018, with "The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara" undated.

As a producer, he is also involved in "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom," "Intelligent Life," and Transformers spin-off "Bumblebee."

Harrison Ford co-stars in "Blade Runner 2049," in theaters from the week of October 4.