Age of The Nerd
Steven Spielberg will probably go down as as one of the the most prolific filmmaker of the blockbuster era, but at the age of 71, it seems that the director can’t seem to slow down. Although Speilberg’s The Post is currently enjoying it’s theatrical run, and we have another Spielberg effort–Ready Player One––coming in just a couple of months, the director is already contemplating his next project(s). As we reported last week, the director was circling both Indiana Jones 5 and a West Side Story remake that’s probably unnecessary. Earlier this week ,news broke that Spielberg had begun the casting process for West Side Story, which led many to believe that the filmmaker might tackle the pet-project before returning to his blockbuster roots once again.
Now, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that the acclaimed director will make Indiana Jones 5 before the remake, even though that decision isn’t stopping Spielberg from taking his time to begin the casting search for West Side Story. Indiana Jones 5 has already been in the works for years, and currently has a completed script and a release date of July 10, 2020. Indiana Jones 5 was written by ‘Kingdom of the crystal Skull writer David Koepp, with Kathleen Kennedy producing. The film would see the return of Harrison Ford as what might be his final turn as the title character. And considering that Spielberg would need significantly more prep time for that film, it makes sense that the filmmaker would shoot the more effects-heavy Indiana Jones 5 in 2019, then move right into shooting West Side Story afterward.
Spielberg is reportedly attempting to tell a more ethnically accurate version of the story with his casting in the remake of West Side Story, but details remain sparse overall for both projects. It’s an interesting time in the filmmaker’s career, because not only will he be directing the first remake of his career, but also a sequel to a much-lambasted sequel. It will be interesting to see how all of this will play out, and if Spielberg will be able to fit in another small film in the meantime, as THR suggests. Until we learn more, we can anticipate the release of Ready Player One on March 30th.
