After very little news about the forth-coming Indiana Jones 5, the much-anticipated sequel has just announced some very exciting casting information. It has been confirmed that the multi-talented Phoebe Waller-Bridge will be joining Harrison Ford in the movie as its female lead.
Deadline was the first to break the big news of Waller-Bridge joining the cast. As of yet, details about the upcoming movie are being kept under wraps, as is the nature of Waller-Bridge's character beyond it being a leading role. Although Ford will be returning as the famed hero Indiana Jones, this will be the first movie in the franchise without Steven Spielberg as its director, with James Mangold will be taking up the job.
Deadline also reports that Mangold is currently looking for other actors to fill out the cast for Indiana Jones 5 as the movie hopes to begin filming this summer. Though he will not be directing, Spielberg will serve as one of the movie's producers and is said to be very involved in the production. John Williams is also confirmed to be returning as the composer of the movie, having scored the iconic theme song in the previous installments. This is also said to be the final entry in the Indiana Jones franchise.
Waller-Bridge is best known for her Emmy-winning role in the critically acclaimed British dramedy series Fleabag, of which she is also the creator. She has also been building a strong career as a writer with her spy series Killing Eve and was even brought in to do rewrites on the new James Bond movie, No Time to Die. Ironically, Waller-Bridge's biggest movie role to date also has a connection to Harrison Ford, as she played the droid L3-37 in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
As beloved as the Indiana Jones franchise is, this fifth installment has some fans concerned. Following the disappointment of the last Indiana Jones movie, the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, there is a worry of further damage to the character's legacy. The fact that Spielberg is not returning as director and Harrison Ford is nearly 80 years old doesn't help to ease those apprehensions.
However, the casting of Waller-Bridge is a very exciting step in the right direction. She is a very compelling performer who will no doubt bring a great sense of humor to the role, which will presumably be a sidekick-type part. Thinking about Waller-Bridge's chaotic style playing off of Ford's gruff persona is really appealing. And as brilliant of a writer as she is, she might add some of her expertise to the script as well.
Indiana Jones 5 is scheduled to hit theaters on July 29, 2022.
Source: Deadline