In 2016, we reported that Disney had plans to release another Indiana Jones movie, with Steven Spielberg directing and Harrison Ford returning in the lead. That sequel was set for a 2019 release… until now. Rumors were swirling in the past week or so that it would be pushed back to 2020, but now it’s being reported that the movie is even further delayed, with a new release date set for July 9, 2021. Let’s take a look at what Disney has coming out before that, and what this may mean for Indy’s future.
CHRISTOPHER ROBIN is ready to melt our hearts on August 3, 2018. Ewan McGregor stars with CGI versions of Winnie The Pooh and his co-horts, and the trailers look adorable.
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS is set for a November 2, 2018 release. Lasse Hallstrom directs Keira Knightley as the Sugar Plum Fairy in this live action update of the classic story, which co-stars Mackenzie Foy, Morgan Freeman, and Helen Mirren. Joe Johnston complete reshoots and will share director credit. This was moved up to fill MULAN‘s intended release date.
WRECK-IT RALPH 2 which is officially called RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET opens November 21, 2018.
DUMBO is set for a March 29, 2019 release date. Tim Burton directs this live action (with a CGI elephant) version of the animated classic, starring Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito and Eva Green.
CAPTAIN MARVEL is set for a March 8, 2019 release. Brie Larson steps into the role of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s mightiest superhero, but a movie that’s set in the 1990’s. Make no mistake, this film is introducing this character for a very important reason, as she’s going to play a very key role in…
UNTITLED FOURTH AVENGERS MOVIE hits theaters May 3, 2019. This is already filmed and being edited, but is sure to be one of the biggest movies of next year. With the shocking ending of AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR, everyone wants to know how in the world the Russo Brothers are going to resolve things for the Marvel Cinematic Universe… we’ll know soon.
ALADDIN is set for a May 24, 2019 release. Guy Ritchie directs this live action version of the beloved animated film, with Will Smith playing the Genie. If any of these live action takes on animated classic was going to be a giant miss, it feels like this one would be it, but maybe they’ll prove me wrong
TOY STORY 4 is scheduled for a June 21, 2019 release. Safe to say this will be a hit, all the other TOY STORY sequels made massive box office, expect this to do the same, but will this be the final sequel? One has to wonder if Pixar know when we’ve had enough of a good thing
THE LION KING live action (er… CGI) version opens July 19, 2019. Jon Favreau directs this new take on the animated hit, with the voices of Donald Glover as Simba, James Earl Jones returning as Mufasa, John Oliver as Zazu, and Billy Eichner and Set Rogen as Timon and Pumba respectively.
JUNGLE CRUISE which stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Emily Blunt and is based on the Disney theme park ride is scheduled for a October 11, 2019 release.
FROZEN 2 hits theaters November 27, 2019. Yep, they’re not gonna let it go just yet, there’s another FROZEN adventure on the way. Let’s hope it fares better than the despised short film that accompanied COCO, which moviegoers hated so much they actually removed it from prints of the film while still in theaters.
MARY POPPINS RETURNS which also features Emily Blunt, in the role made famous by Julie Andrews, has been pushed back a year. Originally intended for Christmas 2018, it is now scheduled for a December 2019 release… that’s a pretty big delay for a film that wasn’t that far off. It co-stars Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Colin Firth, Meryl Streep, and Angela Lansbury.
STAR WARS: EPISODE IX is scheduled for a December 20, 2019 release… will this conflict with MARY POPPINS RETURNS? Seems like it could. But STAR WARS is its own beast. JJ Abrams is back in the director chair for this one, and it should be interesting to see how fans react considering the fan outrage of THE LAST JEDI and lackluster box office for SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY. Can Disney win them back with the final entry of the Skywalker Saga?
MULAN is now set for March 27, 2020. This live action version was pushed WAY back from its original intended release date this year, but it’s still on track to be released.
MALEFICENT II brings back Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning, joined by Michelle Pfeiffer, who seems to be continuing her big screen revival quite nicely… it’s scheduled to be released on May 29, 2020.
Disney also has an untitled Marvel film set to come out in 2021, but that date was moved too, pushed up from July 30 to February 12, 2021. Some have guessed it’s a sequel to BLACK PANTHER, as the timing would make sense – three years after the first movie.
So where does all this leave Doctor Jones? Well one thing is curious, the new release date of July 2021. Indiana Jones movies have historically always come out on Memorial Day weekend. Releasing it in July is odd, as there will no doubt be other summer blockbusters to compete with. Also worthy of note, Harrison Ford will be pushing 80 by the time the film opens, and a lot of folks already had a hard time believing his performance in INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL, and that was 2008! The fifth film was originally going to be written by David Koepp, but is now being penned by SOLO screenwriter Jonathan Kasdan, son of Lawrence Kasdan who wrote RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. Listen, I LOVE Indiana Jones, and I want to be excited for this, but I don’t want to see Harrison looking laughable in the role either. Maybe they can find a way to make it work believably, but I’d by lying if I said I wasn’t nervous over this. I also worry this is being done just do Disney can reboot the franchise with a new actor, and it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing that role effectively. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
You can see our original 2016 report below.
With the overwhelming success of STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS, and it becoming the highest-grossing film of all time, many wondered if Disney might look next to it’s other big acquisition as part of the Lucasfilm buyout… Indiana Jones. The 2008 sequel INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL wasn’t that big a hit with critics, but it made plenty of money – $317,011,114 in the United States alone. Today Disney finally brought recent expectations into reality, announcing a new Indy movie is in fact coming to theaters July 19, 2019, produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, directed by Steven Spielberg, and starring Harrison Ford. There’s also strong suspicion that George Lucas will have nothing to do with this installment, as there’s zero mention of him in the press release (below), and in recent interviews Ford even stated Lucas wouldn’t be involved. There’s no word on screenwriters at this point, though that’s likely their next focus. It should be noted, in 2019 Harrison Ford will be 77 years old, but his energetic performance in THE FORCE AWAKENS proves he’s still capable of playing the iconic roles he made famous. Will Shia LaBeouf return as Mutt Williams? Doubtful, especially after he came out with rather negative comments about CRYSTAL SKULL. We’re guessing not, but the real question is will this newest sequel effectively end the character, or pass the torch on to another adventurer? Tell us your thoughts on this news in the comments below.
SPIELBERG AND FORD REUNITE AS INDIANA JONES RETURNS TO THEATERS JULY 19, 2019
Indiana Jones will return to the big screen on July 19, 2019, for a fifth epic adventure in the blockbuster series. Steven Spielberg, who directed all four previous films, will helm the as-yet-untitled project with star Harrison Ford reprising his iconic role. Franchise veterans Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall will produce.
“Indiana Jones is one of the greatest heroes in cinematic history, and we can’t wait to bring him back to the screen in 2019,” said Alan Horn, Chairman, The Walt Disney Studios. “It’s rare to have such a perfect combination of director, producers, actor and role, and we couldn’t be more excited to embark on this adventure with Harrison and Steven.”
Famed archaeologist and explorer Indiana Jones was introduced in 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark – one of AFI’s 100 Greatest American Films of All Time – and later thrilled audiences in 1984’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, 1989’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The four films have brought in nearly $2 billion at the global box office.
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
