Indiana Jones 5 saw the official reveal of a new title, new trailer, and new poster on Thursday, as we got our first real look at Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
The movie marks the end of an era for one of Hollywood’s most iconic film franchises, as it will be the fifth final chapter for both star Harrison Ford and composer John Williams. But in another way, it’s actually the beginning of a new era as well, as it marks the first installment since George Lucas sold Lucasfilm, and it will be the first Indiana Jones movie not directed by Steven Spielberg. Spielberg directed the previous four films, while Lucas provided the story and served as executive producer. This time around, it’s James Mangold, who took the reins after Spielberg decided to step down early in the process in order to pass it off to someone new.
Ever since that, though, Spielberg has been known to be involved with the film, and he’s credited as an executive producer. What we didn’t know was that George Lucas is also an executive producer on the film.
Perhaps it slipped under the radar previously, but in Lucasfilm’s official announcement about the film on Thursday, the company said that Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, and Simon Emanuel are producing, while Steven Spielberg and George Lucas are executive producers.
Lucas has received credit on all Lucasfilm projects in recent years, receiving “created by” credits for the characters and the franchise, but this marks the first time he’s actually credited in any formal role on any project for Lucasfilm since selling the company to the Walt Disney Company in 2012. According to Variety, Lucas is “credited with some involvement in the writer’s room,” which sounds like he probably had some influence in the overall story. He’s been involved and consulted on various things here and there since retiring, but this would suggest a bit more involvement than was previously known. The role of an executive producer can vary widely, so it doesn’t tell us a ton, but it’s still really good to see Spielberg and Lucas attached to this project in some role.
All of this means that the movie is bringing back the powerhouse team that brought the franchise to the big screen four times previously. Lucas, Spielberg, Kennedy, Marshall, Ford, and Williams have now been involved in all five Indiana Jones films, with the team getting back together one more time. We’ll see the result on the big screen next summer when Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny hits theaters on June 30, 2023.
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