Harrison Ford will be 77 years old when his alter ego “Indiana Jones” swings back into theaters for a fifth installment on July 19, 2019. The movie will be released by Walt Disney Co., which acquired the rights to the franchise as part of its 2012 purchase of Lucasfilm Ltd. for $4 billion.
According to Variety on Tuesday, director Steven Spielberg will reteam with Ford and the franchise’s producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall.
Production of the yet-to-be-titled installment chronicling the continuing adventures of the swashbuckling archaeologist fits with Disney’s strategy of focusing on big-budget franchise films that can attract huge audiences as well as provide myriad spin-off ancillary opportunities via other media, theme park attractions and merchandising, according to Variety.
The four previous Jones films have brought in nearly $2 billion in box-office receipts worldwide.
The first Indiana Jones film, “Raiders of the Los Ark,” debuted in 1981. The last, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” came out in 2008.