Disney just purchased another piece of your emotional real estate today. The news from Deadline is that a “marketing and distribution deal for the Indiana Jones franchise” has been made between Paramount and Disney, which means the latter can officially make new “Indiana Jones” movies.
The new deal gives Disney marketing and distribution rights to future films as well as retaining Lucasfilm’s ownership rights — which basically means they’ve got the whole shebang now. Paramount, on the other hand, isn’t left in the cold: The studio will continue to have distribution rights to the first four films. While details of the deal are unknown, Paramount also will receive financial rewards on any future Indiana Jones films that are produced and released by Disney.
Harrison Ford is on the record as wanting to make another film. Maybe playing second banana to Asa Butterfield helped grease those wheels. Maybe his island needs a peninsula. At any rate, Ford is 71-years-old. Seventy-one. If we want the original actor playing this iconic character for another film (or two or three) now is the time to make it happen. And you know what? Go for it! Indiana Jones is going to live well beyond Ford, so we may as well use him while he’s still sighing breath. Most of Elvis’ movies may be terrible, but we have one of the most famous musicians of the modern world captured on film in his prime. That’s not nothing. Ford isn’t in his prime anymore, but his face is still Indiana Jones’ face. That’s a special thing and I’ll suffer through some bad films to get the “real” Dr. Jones before he’s replaced by of the Hemsworth brood.
These are early days, so a lot of questions remain. Steven Spielberg has never directed a Disney film, but the influence of that studio on his work (Close Encounters of the Third Kind) looms large. Would this be his first, or would they look for another J.J. Abrams-type to revitalize the franchise? And what about John Williams? Remember how old Harrison Ford is? John Williams is 10 years older than that. Hell, my friend just pointed out that the cinematographer for Raiders of the Lost Ark, Douglas Slocombe, is 100 years old (he’ll be 101 next February)! GET HIM IN THERE TO MAKE IT LOOK GREAT AGAIN! LET HIM TOUCH THE CAMERA WITH HIS QUIVERING HAND!
And what about Shia?
Ahem…
Like I said, a lot of questions.