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James Mangold confirmed to direct 'Indiana Jones 5'

Raiders of the Lost Ark (Credit: Paramount)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (Credit: Paramount)

James Mangold, director of Logan and Ford Vs Ferrari, is now confirmed as the director of Indiana Jones 5.

Frank Marshall, producer of all the films in the series, firmed up the talk of Mangold taking over the reigns which emerged back in February.

Speaking to Collider, Marshall was asked why Mangold was the right choice to replace Steven Spielberg, to which he replied: “His love of the franchise. He’s a wonderful filmmaker. I think he also has a relationship with Harrison.

Read more: James Mangold in line to direct Indiana Jones 5

“It was all of the right pieces coming together, at the right time.

“Steven is staying on as a producer, so we’ve got the best of everything.”

Spielberg has directed all four Indiana Jones films - 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1984, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in 1989 and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in 2008.

James Mangold arrives at the 92nd Academy Awards Nominees Luncheon at the Loews Hotel on Monday, Jan. 27, 2020, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
James Mangold (Credit: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

But he's now said to have stepped aside into a role of a 'hands-on' producer.

The long-in-gestation project was just weeks away from heading into the production, prior to the coronavirus pandemic.

Marshall added: “The number one thing, obviously, is the safety of everybody – the cast, the crew, and all of us. So, we’re looking at the guidelines that are coming slowly, from the health experts and the studios and the different parts of the business, and we’re just trying to incorporate everything, so we can move forward and be safe.

Read more: Five things you might not know about Indiana Jones’s whip

“It’s going to obviously slow things down, so we’re trying to adjust. You won’t see a lot of big crowd scenes, for example, for a while. There won’t be any more craft service, so maybe that’ll be good for people, in keeping more fit. It’s a moving target right now. There are a lot of people working on the solutions, to be able to work and be safe.”

But fans of the long-running series have been less than impressed with the move to replace Spielberg at the helm.

Currently the movie is slated for release on 29 July, 2022.