There has been ongoing speculation that Harrison Ford, who originated the role of the adventurer in 1981 with Raiders of the Lost Arc, would at some point have to be replaced by a younger actor as the series progressed.
Screenwriter David Keopp has confirmed, however, that Ford will certainly play Indiana Jones in the franchise’s next installment. Koepp wrote the script for the fifth film of the franchise, also confirming that the Shia LaBeouf character is not in the film. This means that Jones’ son, Henry Jones III played by LaBeouf in the 2008 Kingdom of the Crystal Skull isn’t the protege, even though the film’s ending teased that the character has future potential in the series.
Koepp said that he and director Steven Spielberg are content with the current version of the screenplay, and that production could already begin in the near future. “I know we’ve got a script we’re mostly happy with. Work will be endless, of course, and ongoing, and Steven just finished shooting The Post …. If the stars align, hopefully it’ll be his next film.” He also revealed that the plot will involve “some precious artifact that they’re all looking for” throughout the film.
