At long last, Indiana Jones is coming back. Harrison Ford's beloved big screen adventurer has been away for nearly a full decade-and-a-half, but next year he will be in theaters everywhere starring in a new sequel from his eponymous series, and fans are only getting more and more excited for the blockbuster. Sadly, we still have no idea what Indiana Jones 5 will actually be called – which means we don't quite know what special legend Indy will be unraveling this time out – but today we did get an exciting first look at the film while on the ground covering the on-going D23 Expo 2022.
Today's big event in Hall D23 of the Anaheim Convention Center was the Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios & 20th Century Studios Presentation. During the Lucasfilm portion of the event, studio president Kathleen Kennedy took to the stage to introduce footage and talent from the worlds of Star Wars, Willow and more, but arguably the most exciting portion of the show was the time dedicated to Indiana Jones 5. While the title of the movie wasn't revealed, director James Mangold, Harrison Ford, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge were all on hand to discuss their work on the project and introduce the very first publicly shown footage from the blockbuster.
Indiana Jones 5 delivered a sizzle reel for the D23 Expo audience, the preview of the movie beginning with various shots of the titular character in action – involved in a car chase in the desert, being underwater and in his classroom teaching. While this unfolds, we hear a voice over from another beloved character: John Rhys Davies' Sallah. Clearly speaking with Indy, the Raiders of the Lost Ark and Last Crusade hero laments,
I miss the desert, I miss the sea, and I miss waking up every morning wondering what kind of adventure the new day will bring to us.
In response, we hear Indiana Jones explain that "Those days have come and gone," but Sallah retorts that that may not really be the case. Showing up on screen for the first time, he says, "Perhaps. Perhaps not."
The latter certainly seems to be the case, as the Indiana Jones 5 footage then showed off a slew of badass clips, including Indy riding on horseback, a chase on top of a train, the hero seemingly kick starting a rolling boulder, and a motorcycle pursuing a plane that is taking off on a runway.
While this footage unfolds, more voice over continues, this time from the central hero. It seems that whatever Indiana Jones 5 is about, it will once again have some kind of fantastical/magical twist, as Indy says,
I've dealt with magic a few times in my life. I've seen things – things I can't explain. I've come to believe it's not so much what you believe, it's how hard you believe it.
Leaving the best moment for last, the Indiana Jones 5 footage concluded with a scene featuring the lead character in a room crowded with enemies. Indy takes out his whip and starts cracking it around the room, trying to get everyone to step off and get back... but that's just seconds before they all pull out guns, preparing to blow the hero away. The scene essentially reverses the dynamic in the brilliant moment in Raiders of the Lost Ark where Indy takes down a talented swordsman with a single shot, and he has to duck as everyone suddenly opens fire on him.
It was a terrific preview of the upcoming 2023 movie, effortlessly effusing the wonderful and fun energy that has made the Indiana Jones franchise so popular ever since it first launched in the early 1980s. The film may be the first in the series not to have Steven Spielberg at the helm, but it seems that James Mangold most definitely understands the brilliant tone of these movies, and the new sequel looks like a terrific ride.
Featuring a terrific cast including Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Thomas Kretschmann, Antonio Banderas, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook and Mads Mikkelsen, Indiana Jones 5 is now less than a year away from release – having wrapped production earlier this year. The film is set to hit theaters everywhere on June 30, 2023, and you're looking for distractions from the hype to ease your anxiety, head on over to our 2022 Movie Release Calendar to learn about all of the movies hitting theaters and streaming before the end of the year.
You can also enjoy more of CinemaBlend's D23 Expo 2022 coverage by checking out our recap of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's D23 Expo footage, reading about the newly announced Thunderbolts lineup, and much more,
