Indy 5…Minus the Indy??
The fourth installment of Indiana Jones doesn’t hit theaters until Thursday, but there’s already buzz about making a fifth film without Harrison Ford in the lead role.
While walking the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival for the premiere of Kung Fu Panda, George Lucas hinted to reporters about the possibility of a sequel to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
"I haven't even told Steven [Spielberg] or Harrison this," he said. "But I have an idea to make Shia [LaBeouf] the lead character next time and have Harrison come back like Sean Connery did in the last movie. I can see it working out."
Although it’s hard to imagine what Lucas has up his sleeve, passing the bullwhip to LaBeouf’s character, Mutt Williams, could make sense. Rumors have been swirling for months that Mutt is Indiana’s lovechild with Marion Ravenwood, played by Karen Allen.
But, for now, diehard Indy fans can breathe easy: Ford, 65, hasn’t hung up his fedora just yet. On Friday he told reporters, "Till they tell me otherwise, I will continue to be Indiana Jones."
Lucas Has Idea for Indiana Jones 5; Spielberg, LaBeouf, and Ford Don’t Rule it Out
Rumors began in July 2007 that Shia LaBeouf signed a contract to reprise his role of Mutt Williams, in a series of Indiana Jones sequels. MTV quickly got a denial from LucasFilm, although it turns out that IESB.net’s source probably wasn’t far off after all. It has now been revealed that George Lucas has an idea to make more Indy films with Mutt as the lead character.
“I haven’t even told Steven or Harrison this,” Lucas told Fox News. “But I have an idea to make Shia [LeBeouf] the lead character next time and have Harrison [Ford] come back like Sean Connery did in the last movie. I can see it working out.”
And I’m betting that like most Hollywood contracts, LaBeouf probably has stipulations which lock him into a sequel/spin-off if Paramount wanted to make one, despite what LucasFilm claimed last year. And LaBeouf says he would be interested.
“I don’t think a Mutt spinoff would be as big as Indiana Jones,” LaBeouf told MTV. “[But] fingers crossed!”
Harrison Ford told USA Today in April that “he also might consider a fifth installment of Indiana Jones, though he hopes it wouldn’t take 20 years to pull together.”
“And it’s not like Harrison is even old,” admits Lucas. “I mean, he’s 65 and he did everything in this movie. The old chemistry is there, and it’s not like he’s an old man. He’s incredibly agile; he looks even better than he did 20 years ago, if you ask me.”
Even director Steven Spielberg admitted a years back while developing Crystal Skull, that he wouldn’t rule out a fifth film.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Spielberg told the Chicago Sun Times. “Of course, I said the third INDY would be the last one. And obviously it’s not. So I can’t even comment whether the fourth will be the last one or not. I’m not looking to redesign the wheel. I just want to continue the saga.”
If Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull does the business that everyone is expecting, I don’t see how they couldn’t launch a sequel/spin-off. What about a storyline where Shia has to find and rescue Indiana Jones, a callback to The Last Crusade.
SAW V and VI Details Revealed
Lionsgate has revealed new details about the future of the SAW franchise. The fifth installment, follows Hoffman (Costas Mandylor), who has been carrying Jigsaw’s (Tobin Bell) legacy, goes on a man hunt after the secret is threatened.
“People escape one trap, just to get caught in another; it’s closer in feel to the original SAW as thematically it’s about teamwork. I am far and away convinced that these are the best traps we have ever had,” Producer Marc Berg told Bloody-Disgusting. “This film is far less confusing and more linear, and there are TWO great twists. Just when you thought you figured it out, we twist again.”
The film features six different traps and they shot three different endings, which will be included on the eventual DVD release. The full supporting announce was also announced, and includes: Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell, Mark Rolston, Carlo Rota, Julie Benz, Greg Bryk, Laura Gordon and Meagan Good. David Hackl directed the fifth film but will not be returning for the sixth installment after all. I wonder if the studio replaced him or if this was his own choice. SAW series editor Kevin Greutert will be making his feature directorial debut on Saw VI. Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton are back to pen the screenplay.
Also announced is a SAW video game which was written by franchise creators Leigh Whannell and James Wan, featuring all of the original cast members, and will take place in the timeline of the original film. Saw V is scheduled to hit theaters on October 24th, 2008.
sources: Bloody-disgusting, ComingSoon
Sony to Release Spider-Man 4 in 2010?
Will the original squad be back, or will Sony recruit new talent? A week ago we reported on the rumor that Spider-Man 4 and Spider-Man 5 will be filmed back-to-back, Back to the Future styles. Today, a quote from Marvel’s Vice Chairman, Peter Cuneo, hit the Net via IESB regarding Sony’s stirring plans for a third sequel…
“As far as Spider-man 4, it’s really up to Sony, it’s up to them, most likely scenario is 2010 or 2011 but we can’t speak for them and I think, that we don’t know. They have given us their re-up payment for that film so you know they’re going to make it within a reasonable time frame. Sony may be looking at some issues with the cast and so on, I think they have to make some decisions.”
Maybe it’s me, but all of these recent quotes from Marvel honchos have a newfound tone of “We’re kicking ass and taking names, and, of course, we have outside properties as well. No big deal.” So, screenwriter James Vanderbilt (Zodiac) has apparently turned in a script for Spidey 4 that inherently ties to a fifth film; if this is how the franchise plays out, I’d imagine (rather predictably, yes) that an unprecedented bag of cash the size of a Dubai island would need to be exchanged to bring back Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. And if I had to place a blind bet, I’d say a new A-list director (and, if so, probably a new star) is in store to bring Peter Parker into the next decade. Dunst is the cigarettes to the keys and wallet, here. What does your Magic 8ball tell you?