Steven Spielberg Left ‘Indiana Jones 5’ Because Of Script Disagreements
It’s hard to imagine anIndiana Jonesmovie withoutSteven Spielbergat the helm, but that’s what we’re going to get withIndiana Jones 5, which will be directed and written byLogan’s James Mangold. The film went through several drafts and screenwriters before initial screenwriterDavid Koeppfinally exited the project alongside Spielberg. And the delays on the film can be attributed to the disagreements Spielberg, Ford, and Disney had over that constantly-changing script.
In aninterview with Den of Geek, screenwriter David Koepp, who leftIndiana Jones 5around the same time as Spielberg, explained why their version of the film fell apart.
“I tried a couple different versions with Steven and they all had some good stuff about them and they all had some stuff that didn’t work, which happens. But it was just very hard to have everybody come together and have all the elements — Steven, Harrison (Ford), the script and Disney — come together at once. And it didn’t.”
Koepp wouldn’t go into details about what those script disagreements were, but it seems like none of the parties involved could agree on the direction to take the movie. It’s a problem that has been plaguingIndiana Jones 5since it was announced all the way back in 2016. When the project was first announced by Lucasfilm, Koepp was on board to handle the script. Then, word surfaced thatJonathan Kasdan(Solo: A Star Wars Story) andDan Fogelman(This Is Us,Tangled) would both be working on the script. Then, Koepp took over again, with the writer stating in September of last year, “I’m working on it again. We’re still trying. And I think we’ve got a good idea this time. We’ll see.”
But script problems kept cropping up, with Ford even commenting on thescript issuesin February of this year. Finally, Spielberg and Koepp parted ways with the project, handing the movie over toFord v Ferraridirector James Mangold. But the exit seemed to be mutual for all parties involved, as Koepp only wishes the best for Mangold.
“When James Mangold came in and Steven stepped out, that was a pretty logical breaking point,” Koepp told Den of Geek. “It’s a gracious time to step out the door because I think the last thing a new director wants is the old director’s writer. I mean, that’s a drag. The last thing you need is some guy sitting around with his arms folded saying, ‘Well, the way Steven would have done it is…’ I had one nice friendly conversation with him and then I’m sure he wanted to be able to move on anyway. Everybody was pretty polite, I thought.”
