The opening sequence of the eagerly anticipated Indiana Jones 5 has dropped, with 80-year-old Harrison Ford assuming his role despite his advancing years. It’s been more than 40 years since Ford debuted in Raiders of the Lost Ark, but he’s back again and looking younger and leaner than ever, thanks to the use of de-ageing technology.
Can de-ageing technology really turn back the clock for Ford and Indiana?
De-ageing technology has been used for many years in Hollywood, with varying degrees of success. Patrick Stewart was made to look like a parody waxwork in X-Men: The Last Stand, although Samuel L. Jackson did look decades younger in Captain Marvel. Ford’s appearances on the big screen have been fewer and further between in recent years, with a successful performance in Blade Runner 2049 and a headline role in The Call of the Wild his most notable efforts. Given his age and the fact that the last Indiana Jones release was 15 years ago, you could be forgiven for Ford’s belief that a fifth iteration was wholly unnecessary, according to IGN.
Despite Ford’s insistence that the world didn’t need another slice of Indiana Jones, there has been insane demand for it among fans. This franchise has continued to live long in the psyche of popular culture. It inspired one of Playtech’s most popular slot series based on Rich Wilde, that’s one of the most popular slots among Canadians at Mr Green Casino. Rich Wilde is cast as an intrepid Indiana Jones-esque explorer and is at the heart of the five-reel Book of Dead slot. The Rich Wilde series has become a franchise in its own right, with a spin-off involving Rich Wilde’s daughter, Cat, in the Doom of Dead – another title clearly influenced by George Lucas’ sequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark.
The use of de-ageing technology on Ford and Indiana Jones is featured in some clever flashbacks to an opening scene set in 1944. It won’t be of any surprise to fans that Ford no longer does his own stunts though, even though producer Frank Marshall revealed that Ford managed to “fit in the pants” of Indiana Jones despite his advancing years.
What to expect from Indiana Jones 5
The full-length title of Indiana Jones 5 has not yet been formalized, at least publicly. Ford said that despite his initial reservations he was pleased to be part of the latest movie, overcoming several roadblocks along the way. Ford injured himself during a fight scene and there were various other “long and arduous” issues through filming, but he is “very happy” with the result.
Indiana Jones 5 is set to premiere on June 30, 2023 after being delayed on numerous occasions. It was first slated to hit box offices on July 19, 2019, before being delayed by 12 months to July 10, 2020, with Walt Disney Studios in favor of focusing on The Lion King. It then moved to July 9, 2021, before being pushed back by a further year.
Ford has insisted that the fifth release would be his last in the franchise, so fans will have everything crossed that it leaves them feeling satisfied by the time the curtain comes down.
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