For many, the idea of “Indiana Jones 5” comes with a bit of hesitation. Harrison Ford is a bit… advanced in age. Steven Spielberg has handed over the director’s chair to James Mangold, and even though the new helmer is an Oscar-nominated filmmaker, it just feels…weird. And then there’s the whole drama about how long it’s taken for Lucasfilm to nail down a script for the film, making it seem like maybe it’s not the best idea to make another sequel? But then you add to the mix the casting of Phoebe Waller-Bridge and excitement builds. And now, with Mads Mikkelsen joining the fray, you suddenly become…optimistic? As a Playlist contributor who shall remain nameless said upon hearing the news about Mikkelsen, “Oh god, I’m starting to get excited about this now. That’ll end badly.”
The news of Mads Mikkelsen joining “Indiana Jones 5” comes from a new report at Deadline. It’s unclear what role Mikkelsen might occupy in the film, but judging by his previous film roles and the fact that this is “Indiana Jones” we’re talking about, it would be safe to assume it’s as a villain, right? Not much is known about “Indiana Jones 5” other than the hope is that filming could begin this summer, with Mangold helming and also finishing a rewrite of the script that has been in development for years.
Mikkelsen is no stranger to big-budget franchise filmmaking. He’s appeared in very memorable roles in the James Bond franchise (“Casino Royale”), the Marvel Cinematic Universe (“Doctor Strange”), the “Silence of the Lambs” extended universe (NBC’s “Hannibal”), the “Star Wars” galaxy (“Rogue One”), and of course, taking over for Johnny Depp in the upcoming ‘Harry Potter’ spinoff film, “Fantastic Beasts 3.”
As mentioned, filming is hoping to begin on “Indiana Jones 5” by this summer, with more cast members joining in the weeks to come. The film currently has a release date (though this film has been delayed numerous times and release dates are seemingly meaningless) of July 29, 2022.