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Ford, 73, will reprise his role as the Fedora-clad
archaeologist and adventurer who first appeared in 1981's
"Raiders of the Lost Ark."
"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,” Disney chairman Alan Horn said in a statement.
The as yet untitled film will come 11 years after the last
installment, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal
Skull," in which Ford's Jones reunited with his former love
Marion (Karen Allen) and discovered he had a grown son, Mutt
Williams (Shia LaBeouf). The film received mixed reviews.
Disney did not say whether Allen and LaBeouf would return and
did not reveal plot details. Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall
will produce the film. Spielberg, 69, has directed all the
"Indiana Jones" films.
Tuesday's announcement follows the success of Disney's "Star
Wars: The Force Awakens," the third highest-grossing film
worldwide of all time, in which Ford reprised his action star
role and regained his box office appeal as space smuggler Han
Solo who was first seen in 1977.
The "Indiana Jones" franchise, created by filmmaker George
Lucas, has grossed nearly $2 billion at the global box office
with four films and amassed a global fan base.
The announcement quickly became a top ten trending topic on
Twitter, but reaction was mixed. Many made fun of Ford's age,
offering tongue-in-cheek suggestions for the film's title, such
as "Indiana Jones and the Alzheimers," and "Indiana Jones and
'Hey You Kids, Get Off My Lawn!"
The new film is the first "Indiana Jones" movie that Disney will
make after it bought the distribution rights for the franchise
from Viacom Inc's Paramount Pictures in 2013.
Disney also acquired Lucas' LucasFilm, the production company
behind "Indiana Jones" and "Star Wars" films, in 2012.
The franchise also spawned a 1990s television series "The Young
Indiana Jones Chronicles," along with popular attractions at
Disney theme parks.
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; editing by Nick Zieminski, James
Dalgleish and Diane Craft)
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