‘Indiana Jones 5’ to open with a de-ageing sequence
Making his fifth appearance as the titular adventurer, the iconic Hollywood star Harrison Ford will once again be reprising his role as Indiana Jones in 2023, where director James Mangold has something special in store for a memorable opening sequence.
Speaking to Empire about the new release, Mangold revealed, “I wanted the chance to dive into this kind of full-on George-and-Steven old picture and give the audience an adrenaline blast”. To do this, Mangold eyed up a special opening scene that acts as a throwback to 1981s Raiders of the Lost Ark, sending Harrison Ford back to 1944 in a set piece that will see the actor considerably de-aged.
Using ILM software that crafted a younger version of Ford utilising archived material, Mangold and producer Kathleen Kennedy have high hopes for the sequel. “My hope is that, although it will be talked about in terms of technology, you just watch it and go, ‘Oh my God, they just found footage. This was a thing they shot 40 years ago’” Kennedy states, adding, “We’re dropping you into an adventure, something Indy is looking for, and instantly you have that feeling, ‘I’m in an Indiana Jones movie.’”
Though the film starts in the 1940s, it will pick back up in 1969, with Mangold ensuring the transition is a sweet one, “So that the audience doesn’t experience the change between the ‘40s and ‘60s as an intellectual conceit, but literally experiences the buccaneering spirit of those early days… and then the beginning of now”.
Speaking of the new sequence, Ford stated, “This is the first time I’ve seen it where I believe it…It’s a little spooky. I don’t think I even want to know how it works, but it works…Doesn’t make me want to be young, though…I’m glad to have earned my age”.
Indiana Jones 5 is set for release on June 30th, 2022.
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