Credit: LucasfilmJames Mangold has a tall task ahead of him with directing Indiana Jones 5, simply because the previous movies were directed by Steven Spielberg. Though Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is the most heavily criticized of the bunch, fans are looking forward to removing that film from memory. Mangold plans to remind fans about “what they missed so much” with an epic 25-minute flashback opening.
Related: Fans Demand More ‘Indiana Jones’ as Merchandise Flies Off Shelves
Mangold went into depth about the current film technology that many creators have used, which is de-aging. De-aging has been all the rage and has been used plenty by other Disney properties. For instance, Lucasfilm opted to use de-aging technology in The Mandalorian Season 2 and The Book of Boba Fett when Mark Hamill reprised his role as Luke Skywalker—but with a much younger look.
This process still allows for the actors to assume those roles, but their faces are changed to mimic their younger selves. This technology is something that James Mangold has utilized for Indiana Jones 5, which was showcased a bit in the trailers.
One of the biggest draws for the Indiana Jones film series is the opening sequences. Take The Last Crusade, for example. The opening of that film showcases a young Indy stealing an artifact from treasure hunters so that it can be placed in a museum where it belongs. Though Indy is a cutthroat adventurer, he always respects what he locates, and offers those items to the museum to be treasured by everyone. This sequence showcases what makes him such a great character.
Mangold will now have to replicate the success and excitement that occurs in the opening sequence of Indiana Jones 5. He is up for the challenge, as he detailed the opening sequence to TotalFilm.
According to Mangold, “It was an incredible technology, and, in many ways, I just didn’t think about it. I just focused on shooting what’s [approximately] a 25-minute opening extravaganza that was my chance to just let it rip. The goal was to give the audience a full-bodied taste of what they missed so much.”
The de-aging technology used is something that fans already got a taste of, as the trailer for the anticipated sequel showcased a much younger Harrison Ford. The reasoning behind using this technology and the epic 25-minute opening is to also rocket to the “present day” of the film, which is 1969. Indy is far more grizzled and worn out by his many years of adventuring.
Mangold wanted to use this opening sequence to bring longtime fans in, but also showcase how everyone must adjust to an older Indy. “Because then when the movie lands in 1969, they’re going to have to make an adjustment to what it is now, which is different from what it was,” he added.
This will be the longest opening out of any of the Indiana Jones films, but that could be because of the time jump and how much story needs to be covered to allow Ford’s performance to ride off into the sunset.
This will be the final time that Harrison Ford steps into the role of Indiana Jones, and we imagine that it will be the most epic. Mangold also revealed that Ford was acting like a 35-year-old during the shooting scenes for the opening sequence. He stated it was all of Ford’s movements and shots of his body, only a much younger face is plastered over that.
Related: ‘Indiana Jones 5’ Release Date Has Been Moved Up
We can’t wait to see Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, when it releases on June 30. The release date for the movie has been moved up in the UK to June 28, and we are hoping that the same thing happens for the States as well. We are especially excited to see this epic 25-minute opening. The film’s runtime is 2 hours and 23 minutes, so a 25-minute opening is certainly not going to take away from the epic action that will happen in the rest of the film.
Are you excited to see Indiana Jones 5? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!