Lucasfilm has announced that British Actor, Phoebe Waller-Bridge will join the cast of the fifth Indiana Jones movie. The untitled addition to the iconic franchise will be Harrison Ford’s last, as he reprises his role as the whip-wielding archaeologist for the final time at 78-years-old.
Waller-Bridge is renowned for her cutting wit as showcased in her Emmy award-winning hit TV series Fleabag, and everyone’s favourite assassin drama, Killing Eve. Waller-Bridge is not new to epic franchises; she starred in Solo: A Star Wars Story in 2018 and has co-written the highly anticipated new James Bond film, No Time to Die, scheduled for release this September. The British actor will appear alongside another Bond alumni, Mads Mikkelsen, though it is unclear yet what roles they will both play in this film.
In this latest instalment, Steven Spielberg has handed over the reins as Director (after directing the other four movies) to James Mangold, known for Logan and Ford v Ferrari. Spielberg commented that he wanted to “pass along Indy’s whip to a new generation to bring their perspective to the story.” Spielberg will join Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Simon Emanuel as a Producer on this project.
In a statement, Mangold said that he was “thrilled to be starting a new adventure, collaborating with a dream team of all-time great film-makers,” he added: “Steven, Harrison, Kathy, Frank, and John are all artistic heroes of mine. When you add Phoebe, a dazzling actor, brilliant creative voice and the chemistry she will undoubtedly bring to our set, I can’t help but feel as lucky as Indiana Jones himself.”
The action-packed Indiana Jones franchise has grossed $1.9 billion at the worldwide box office. The upcoming film is scheduled to be released in July 2022 after being pushed back from Summer 2021 due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Words by Jess Bacon
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