EXCLUSIVE: Here’s one from the helluva good idea department. Marvel offerings are soaring, and Star Wars is being reinvigorated by director JJ Abrams. Now, Disney has just started to turn its attention to reviving the Indiana 
Jones franchise after buying the rights from Paramount in 2013. I’m cautioned that while things are very early, I hear the studio has set its sights on Chris Pratt as the swashbuckling archaeologist they hope to build the new franchise around, the role made famous by Harrison Ford in Raiders Of The Lost Ark. Pratt jumped to leading-man movie status with his performance in last year’s blockbuster Guardians Of The Galaxy for Marvel and Disney. He starts The Magnificent Seven with Denzel Washington and director Antoine Fuqua in April for MGM and Sony, and there’s the inevitable Guardians Of The Galaxy sequel. Disney won’t comment and all this is admittedly early, so let’s chalk it up as a dishy informed rumor for now and keep an eye on it.
A helluva better idea than Shia whatsisname.
Shia despite his antics still has box office draw. Look at how Meghan Fox came back and made half a billion with Ninja Turtles.
Shia has just gotten an unfair beating from the fanboys who hate him for reminding them that they’re goofy. In other words they’re hypocrites.
When I watched Crystal Skull in the theater the audience responded the most to Shia and he was the only actor in that movie that didn’t phone it it. Ford phoned it in.
“Disney?!?!” What does the most powerful man in Hollywood, THAT WOULD BE MORE POWERFUL THAN ANY ONE AT DISNEY: Spielberg has to say about this new casting idea? Lucas created Indiana along with Spielberg. Spielberg loves the character so much that he made sure that Harrison Ford’s hat in Cowboys and Aliens didn’t look like Indiana’s. If Disney is ignoring Spielberg…
It looks like Disney already pissed off Lucas by scrapping his script for the sequels. Who are they going to piss off next, James Cameron. Well, it looks like they have the guts to piss of the top ten film makers of all time.
Nice try, Shia…
LOL.. good catch…
Leave Shia, I mean “Anonymous Movie Guy” , alone!
How dare you! Ford is a legend. He was great in Cyrstal Skull. Shia was fine, but his role sucked. Everything else sucked about the movie.
Ford definitely didn’t phone it in; I get the impression he was delighted to be in an action movie again (everybody likes to prove they’ve “still got it”.
“Look at how Meghan Fox came back and made half a billion with Ninja Turtles. ”
Had nothing to do with it being TMNT??
Pratt gave the exact same performance in Lego Movie that he did in Guardians and both would make for the most pathetic, laughable Indiana Jones imaginable. Unless random dancing, expressing every single thought he has with copious verbiage, and whining about how much of a loser he is are the new traits of Indiana Jones. Can’t someone cast him in a more appropriate role, like maybe the lead in a reboot of Charles in Charge?
Don’t cast him as Indy. Only Harrison Ford is worthy of the Fedora. An even better idea is a grownup (and not screwed up) version of Shia’s character from “Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull.” Bring in Ford to do a rightful passing of the torch.
They tried doing the passage of the torch in Crystal Skull. It didn’t work. Disney would be better off going the 007 route and rebooting the series with a new set of actors portraying familiar characters (i.e. have Pratt play Indiana Jones himself and not a son or descendent of Ford’s character).
You know there would be outcry if they just pretend 30+ years never happened?
I missed the outcry when Abrahms flipped the Star Trek world on its side…oh wait, there wasn’t any! Those movies kicked butt, and having grown up with the Indiana Jones saga, I can totally see Pratt as Jones! He was almost like Indiana Jones the opening scene of GOTG, but he was a little cockier (I can’t picture Harrison Ford dancing through the Temple of Doom)
There was a ton of outcry when Abrams flipped the Star Trek world upside down. Where were you?
Are you serious? You must not frequent any Star Trek sites or have many Star Trek fans as friends.
Just to clarify, the Star Trek reboot didn’t ignore the pre-established history of the franchise. Everything from the original series and following series’ still happened. Star Trek (2009) simply borrowed a popular comic book concept by having a cosmic event create a divergent timeline/universe. The events of Star Trek (2009) and Into Darkness only take place, because of fallout from a happening from the original timeline. So, not the best example. Also, as others have pointed out a crowd of people still bitched.
More importantly, Star Trek 2 made LESS money domestically than the first one. And the first one barely made $250 million, which already isn’t megahit status these days. Nobody wants to see a new franchise start weak and get weaker. You can’t launch a new franchise by alienating your core base audience who loves the originals. Just wait until you see the pathetic box office Girl-busters does.
I agree. After I saw the opening of Guardian’s, Pratt immediately reminded me of Indy. After I s a him in the trailer of Jurassic World, he’s perfect for the role of Indy.
From who? Old people?
They’re going back to the ’30’s, silly. Stop being so concerned about the feelings of a bunch of fans who believe that they are the only ones that matter as far as the franchise is concerned.
Indy isn’t like Jack Ryan; I can’t imagine anyone but Ford in the role. Well, maybe Tom Selleck, but that’s because I’ve seen the audition tapes. They could certainly succeed in the same way James Bond has been successfully re-cast despite Connery being so strong in the role, but they have their work cut out.
No, they better do it again and pass the torch.
Even Ford himself said once something like “there can be many Bonds, but there’s only one Indiana Jones”, because that’s what’s defines this franchise.
Very true
That’s because Harrison Ford’s ego is bigger than his mouth.
There can, and will be MANY IJs in the years ahead and I’m glad.
Okay, like who?
Like Dennis Quaid, if they had done this 20 years ago.
Jensen Ackles (Dean Winchester from Supernatural). He would pass as his son.
I second the nomination of Jensen Ackles.
I’m here to voice my approval of Jensen Ackles. That’s the only actor I could see as Indy that would still make me want to watch the reboot. Sorry, I like Chris Pratt but I can’t see him as Indy.
Harrison Ford has always been solid as only person who will play Indiana Jones *in the films*. Other actors can play him in spinoffs, and other such things, as River Phoenix has played him younger in Last Crusade, and two more actors played him in the Young Indy TV series. These all tie togetyher. There will be no “reboot” with other actors, that’s absurd, ridiculous and the idea extremely insulting.
The passing of the torch didn’t work cause Shia is a basket case.
They needed The Fonz (a greaser who can take care of himself in a fight and acts tough but has hidden depths and is more intelligent than he lets on), and they got Shia Laboeuf (who came across and whiny and needy). The CONCEPT of Mutt Williams is fine; it was just executed badly. LaBoeuf might be able to play other roles (maybe), but I definitely know he’s not The Fonz.
It didn’t work because they were passing the torch to Shia – who was completely unbelievable as son of Indy – possibly the worst casting since Jake Lloyd in Episode I. How about they not reboot this at all and come up with an original idea?
Exactly!
I agree with the 007 route. I recall in early interviews that Spielberg and Lucas compared him to 007 including the opening scenes where he’s finishing off his previous adventure. Pratt would be great and this move would be comparable to Harrison Ford’s becoming Indy right after the success of Star Wars. My other choice would be Chris Pine. It’s gotta be someone you can picture being both a university professor and a kick-ass adventurer. Maybe Harrison can come back and play Sean Connery’s role in one of the films.
Dont 007 it. Only ford can pull it off. Lets just pretend Chris is Mutt (which would be badass). But if they wanna go back in time the only actor suitable is the one they gave it to last time; Sean Patrick Flannery.
Speaking of 007 why not just cast Idris Elba as Indy?
no, he’s too serious for Indy.
Idris Elba considers himself above such things. You should read his interview where he shares his opinion on how much he enjoys playing Heimdall as compared to Mandela.
My thoughts exactly. Even better, I’d love to see Indy team up with Doc savage in a movie, or at least acknowledge him and his gang in passing.
As much as people don’t wan to admit it, Ford is an old man, and can’t possibly do this role again, so a new guy as Indy is a great idea.
If it was up to you they’d be remaking Star Wars with a hot, young and incredibly forgettable cast. It makes sense only to remake stand-alone movies like King Kong with clear beginnings and endings. Movies that are already franchises with sequels should never be rebooted. For example, it was a complete waste of time to reboot Amazing Spider-Man and retell the origin story. The declining box office of that series has proven that. The only options to continue a series without the original actor are to simply recast the role and pretend nothing happened (i.e. War Machine and Hulk in the Marvel franchise), or simply introduce new characters for the old ones to pass the torch to, as the Star Wars franchise is doing. It’s a complete insult to the original movie’s legacy and to the fan base to reboot and throw out all established continuity. That’s why Girl-busters is an impending disaster and why the same approach would destroy the legacy and insult the fans of Indiana Jones.
Agreed! Only Ford can really be Indy. What about Pratt as a former student emulating his mentor? Indy could the Abner Ravenwood to Pratt’s character.
If they were to go that route can it still be called Indiana Jones? The student’s name isn’t Indiana then. So while it be more of a spin-off franchise it isn’t a real Indiana Jones movie.
Disney is not going to ignore a big brand name like Indy. The only question is, in a sea of metrosexual actors, who can they possibly cast?!?
Karl Urban
Only if they have him play the role as Judge Dredd…. O.o
That would be an interesting choice, as I think he’d fit the role better than Pratt.
It just feels wrong to cast a Kiwi as Indiana Jones.
I’ve been arguing this for a while, Hollywood isn’t producing many leading actors who come across as real American men anymore. Chris Pratt does seem conventionally masculine, but in kind of a doughy, fratboy way, and he has zero charisma.
I love this comment!
My husband and I had that exact discussion the other day. The only name we came up with who can swagger, fight, and charm like Harrison Ford was Jensen Ackles from Supernatural.
Jensen Ackles all the way. His humor is way more suitable for Indy. As much as I like Chris Pratt, he is a little too goofball. Ackles as Dean Winchester has plenty of fight scenes where he is a brawler, using his brain just as much as his body-exactly like Indy. And by the time they actually start filming, Pratt is gonna be overexposed. Most of the successful reboots have cast actors that weren’t mega-stars.
There will be no “reboot” of Indiana Jones, there will be another sequel, Indiana Jones 5, most likely, from Steven and George and starring Harrison, as all of the rest. This “reboot” nonsense is weird and insulting.
That could work and I would certainly be OK with it. Chris Pratt as Mutt Williams would be cool.
He’s good. He’s got a light touch and kids love him.
Gross
Haha you made my night
Please… no. Leave it be, it’s already sleeping peacefully.
The only actor I can actually see sort of pulling off what Ford did is Chris Hemsworth.
But this is a bad idea.
Hemsworth doesn’t have the screen presence/snark. Pratt’s the only guy who even vaguely could do it. Hollywood has done this to themselves, promoting a bunch of fluffy actors for pre-teen girls. Bleh.
Ford has presence but also intelligent. Pratt can’t do the professor/intelligence that Ford had.
Sean Patrick Flannery did it no problem. So cast him as indy
I’d go with Chris Pine but yeah – there are better Chrises out there for this. I love Pratt to death, but archaeology professor? I don’t know. :/
Yeah, he should do Uncharted, that’s something he can own from the start, not be constantly trying to live up to a predecessor for.
Speaking of Chrises — how about Chris Evans? He’s vaguely similar-looking to Ford, and has shown he can do both sassy and manly-type heroes. Just a thought.
Bradley Cooper.
Good call. I would pay to see that.
Agreed.
Absolutely agreed.
God no! Never.
Yes.
Yes!
Solid…
Cooper can do snark, charm and smarts … Good call and I thought he was the best thing in Guardians of the Galaxy .
Haha! That was not cooper that was Pratt.
He was the raccoon
Yes!!! He’s the only one I want to see as Indiana Jones
no, keep the American actor instead. hemsworth is not a star out side of thor. but Pratt is closer.
I would love to see Nathan Fillion would make an excellent Indiana Jones I think. Although the Indiana character kind of has a dick/asshole attitude vibe to him and I don’t think that would translate too well for Nathan. Although I would love to be wrong.
Have you not seen Nathan as Captain Hammer in Dr. Horrible?
Ryan Reynolds
funny, i was thinking the other Hemsworth. Liam.
What about Idris Elba?
Lol
That was a good chuckle.
Elba FOR ALL THE ROLES!!
(only half kidding)
Chris Pratt is great, but I really don’t see him as Indiana Jones. I still think of Pratt as more of a comedic actor rather than action star. I don’t really have a thought as to who I’d like to see in the role, but it’s not him.
Indiana is a comic character, though. I just went back and watched all three (I pretend the fourth one never happened) and it’s surprisingly humorous and you really need somebody with a light touch. I personally feel that Pratt is the only one who can pull this role off. Otherwise, you’re right. Let it be.
Wrong. Pratt is a schlub, Ford was never a schlub, ever. Pratt is good but not for this, not for a long shot. He’s the drunk best friend, not the quarter back/professor
You are exactly right that Pratt is not right at all for the role of Indiana Jones and if it ain’t broke then don’t fix it! Harrison Ford is the only actor out there in the world that exists that can play the character period!
i love him but Guardians, Jurassic Park and now this? now we’ll be sick of him soon. This is what Hollywood does, it throws someone on us and bulldozes them into the ground.
I vote for Michael B Jordan. HE should be in everything.
You’re right Chris Pratt should only be allowed to be in 1 movie every 2 years.
Agreed. Pratt is going to have way too many big roles… please find a more diverse set of star actors @movieindustry.
So, your stance is that even if they find the perfect actor to take on the role of Indiana Jones, they can’t use him if he’s in other big roles? I don’t get it. Or does this just apply to Chris Pratt?
Your comment is invalid after you can’t even get the movie name correct in your complaint.
It’s Jurassic World and he might not even be needed in sequels.
That’s one of the mistakes Girl-busters is making, getting Melissa McCarthy way past her sell-by date. She’s going down in the hall of fame of overexposure with Jude Law.
I know Indiana Jones. I grew up with Indiana Jones. Chris Pratt is NOT Indiana Jones!
Yeah, but I grew up with Mad Max and now Tom Hardy is Mad Max and looks great doing it. I’m down for giving Pratt a shot.
Tom Hardy for Indiana Jones!
Less iconic and Harrison Ford doesn’t have the same kind of baggage as Mel.
This isn’t your Indiana Jones…because it’s 2015
Being 2015 means, what, exactly? Sorry, that arbitrary statement makes absolutely no sense.
He’s got the look, he just needs to tone down his goofiness for Indy. He should watch Humphrey bogart movies – lots of them.
Guess what Indy just told me re: this rumor?
“Marion, don’t look at it. Shut your eyes, Marion. Don’t look at it, no matter what happens!”
Thank you George Lucas for giving your legacy away to rodents.
Lucas lost his right to make movies with ep 1-3 and sealed the deal with Crustal Skull.
I wouldn’t risk anything epic on Pratt until he’s opened at least one film on his own. Anyone who credits Guardians’ success solely on him is a “group think” idiot.
But I just like how DH admittedly publishes rumors.
I would rather they roll out a 90-year-old Harrison Ford in an iron lung to reprise the roll than ever see the hat and whip go to anyone else. I like Chris Pratt, but he’s just another in a long line of stars-of-the-moment that nerds have latched onto and Hollywood wants to exploit in every single remotely nerd-related property. Let Indy’s career come to a close. Tell a new story.
Wait until people see Harrison in Episode 7, it will blow away his performances in all of the previous Star Wars films. (Going by what I’ve heard from insiders). Just saying. :)
So is Spielberg and co. not involved? What about Kennedy’s Lucasfilm?
I would assume Lucasfilm is involved, if this is true. I’d be very surprised if Spielberg weren’t, but Disney owns the rights, not him.
Disney bought Lucasfilm for 4 billion dollars about 2 years ago – why do you think we’re getting Disney Star Wars films too? :)
It’s pathetic they can’t come up with original concepts and have to keep rebooting franchises.
What did you expect from today’s Hollywood?
Well, Indiana Jones was sort of ripped off from Charlton Heston’s character in Secret of the Incas, even down to the hat, leather jacket and bullwhip
Well Lucasfilm’s valuation was based on more than just Star Wars – Indiana Jones was a big part of George Lucas’ legacy as well. The first film was one of the highest grossing films of all time and considered one of the best films of all time. If you look at the value of the franchise to Disney, the Indiana Jones franchise has a much larger footprint in their theme parks than Star Wars currently does, with at least three very large scale attractions. It would make poor business sense not to extend the franchise.
This isn’t Warner Bros, Sony, Fox, this is Disney, their formula works, sequel, sequel, sequel. Disney isn’t your typical media company, films are made to sell merchandise, sell tickets at parks, cruise ships. if you want original ideas look at another studio. When Disney tries something new it usually is a big bomb. Sequels make billions, original ideas don’t (except for Animation)
they keep making reboots for the same reason they keep making spam. People are buying. Don’t blame the studios. They are a business. Blame the people.
Jesus. Can CP be a leading man, Yes…Can he be an iconic character like Indiana? Not so sure. Would you believe him to be an archaeology prof at Princeton? He’s goofy.
This is the point. Ford’s Indiana Jones was, above all else, smart. The mix of intellect and action was the whole point. This is like casting a Hemsworth as a computer genius–just wrong. And I say this a s huge Chris Pratt fan was not one bit surprised at the success of Guardians wherein Pratt played, basically, Han Solo. But Indiana Jones is different.
You’re right. Pratt can’t do sarcasm or irony like Ford, who really created that character (remember, Lucas/Spielberg wanted Selleck who would have been a very different Indy). That being said, not sure Indy has to be ironic and cutting in the way Ford played it. Maybe Pratt can bring something else to the role.
I think he’d make a great Indy.
With about 20 books ( fiction and non fiction) being put out every week …I can not believe Hollywood is doing so bad that they need to reboot/ revive ..Raiders of the lost Art…. Indiana Jones series of films…. What happened to originality??????
Agreed. I want to strangle anyone who says the word “reboot” now. But its the moviegoers who can easily put a stop to it, by not going to see these so-called “movies”. The only reason people go to see them is because its the closest they can get to the real thing. Why doesn’t Hollywood just make the real thing, anymore? Luckily, Star Wars Ep 7 will be the real thing, the next film with all of the same cast and crew that made all of the other films. Maybe that will show Disney that’s what people really want. More further adventures of the real thing, not “copies”. “Reboot”? Like it wasn’t done right the first time? Really? That is such an insulting term. And concept.
I think they should go a little younger, explore the relationship with Abner Ravenwood. I think Garrett Hedlund could pull it off. Let Harrison do one more film where they have a flashbacks to the younger Indy.
Garrett Hedlund would be brilliant for this!!
I think it would be easier to except another actor in the role, if you went this route.
Hm, let’s make 100 years of movie sequels / reboots!
Although I do love the fact that we get more SW, Marvel, Bond, IJ, JP, etc.
If anyone from Disney is reading this, this idea is developed in a script called Indiana Jones and the Stone of Destiny. It’s listed on Blacklist. Read it!
Based on looks alone, the actor Luke Bracy would make a good really young Indy. Why don’t they make a film detailing the original love affair between Marion and Indy, with Abner Ravenwood playing a major part. I MIGHT be able to get on board with that, if it was done right. Then Harrison could bookend the film, as an older Indy.
Indy is supposed to be a man, anyone younger than 35-40 is not going to cut it.
Are you not a man at 25?
no, you are not. you are a boy.
We accept River Pheonix because he was in a flashback. We would be more inclined to support an actor that was in a flashback first.
How about River’s brother Joaquin?
Indy will continue on in the same vein as 007 with numerous iterations and actors failing until a surprise comes along that will surpass lowered expectations. Pratt is a very good start.
WHAT?!? NO ‘THE BEEF’ TRILOGY???
Okey doke. With Hollywood full of metrosexual actors, I guess Pratt has to do everything. Cast him as the young Han Solo, too.
every post you make mentions metrosexual actors. you seem obsessed or something. it’s really weird.
Get Timothy Olyphant from Justified.
great idea this.
Now you’re talking.
Either Indiana og Han Solo – he would be great as both.
Chris Pratt is the perfect choice to wear the fedora. Watch the Jurassic World trailer, and you will see it. He’s a great actor, and he can pull off action and comedy equally well.
Hey, you know who else can pull it off? Harrison Ford.