‘Indiana Jones’ could be returning to theaters in 2020, minus Shia LaBeouf

Behind the scenes of “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” Image: Lucasfilm

Renowned scriptwriter and director David Koepp, who worked on the script for a new “Indiana Jones” movie, confirmed that Harrison Ford will be back to don the fedora hat again. Meanwhile, Shia LaBeouf’s character Mutt Williams will not be appearing in the new film.

Koepp confirmed this in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

“Harrison plays Indiana Jones, that I can certainly say,” said Koepp. “And the Shia LaBeouf character is not in the film.”

At the end of “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, it was teased that LaBeouf’s character, also known as Indy’s son Henry Jones III, would inherit Indy’s iconic fedora. However, Koepp’s confirmation of LaBeouf’s absence in the new movie is like Indy snatching the hat back from his would-be successor.

Perhaps LaBeouf’s lack of involvement with the project was foreshadowed by his comments about “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” in an interview with Los Angeles Times back in 2010. The actor felt he “dropped the ball on the legacy that people loved and cherished.” Harrison Ford, displeased by the younger actor’s comment, called him a “f*ck*ng idiot.”

For now, Koepp stated that Spielberg is generally satisfied with the current script, and production could begin after the director has taken time off from finishing the upcoming movie “The Post”.

“We’re plugging away at it. In terms of when we would start, I think that’s up to Mr. Spielberg and Mr. Ford,” he said.

As per report, if the schedules go as planned, the new “Indiana Jones” movie can be expected to premiere 2020. Alfred Bayle/JB

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