The highly anticipated sequel that stars the great Harrison Ford as the anonymous historian and treasure seeker, alongside Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Kretschmann and others, has now welcomed on Antonio Banderas as the newest star to join the already impressive ensemble in “Indiana Jones 5.”
One of the biggest movie stars of the late 1990s and 2000s, Banderas has a resume that excites any director. Banderas started out working with Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar on a number of projects, then rose to international prominence later in his career for films like “Desperado,” “Philadelphia” and “The Mask of Zorro.” He has also gained fame for his role in children’s films such as “Spy Kids,” where he plays a superspy, and the “Shrek” franchise in which he voices the character of Puss in Boots. Along with his film catalog includes an Oscar nomination for his performance in the 2019 Spanish drama “Pain and Glory.”
Now, Banderas has finalized a deal to appear in the fifth installment of the epic franchise “Indiana Jones” and his character, along with the role he will play in the overall story, has not yet been revealed to the public. With the addition of Banderas and the all-star cast, this upcoming epic film has just become more impressive, building even greater expectations for another hopeful box office smash. Few details have been released about the story of “Indiana Jones 5” so it is tough to guess exactly what kind of role Banderas could be playing. Leaks from the film’s production revealed flashback scenes of a young Indy battling Nazis, with a stunt person wearing a Harrison Ford mask for CGI de-aging. This suggests that the new movie will be taking place across two distinct timelines, likely entailing a story about Harrison Ford’s character Indy dealing with some unfinished business from his past. “The Last Crusade,” the third film of the franchise, started with a flashback to Indy’s teen years so this idea is nothing new to the series. With that in mind, Banderas could be playing a character in either the flashback timeline, or the film’s present-day story.
James Mangold is taking over directing reins from Steven Spielberg, who is still serving as a producer and very much involved in various elements of the film. Kathellen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Simon Emanuel join Spielberg as producers. Not to mention John Williams who has worked on every score in the 40-year-old franchise, including its iconic theme, will also return as composer.
This being said, after the universally panned failure of “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” many fans are skeptical about how good the new movie will actually be. The star-studded cast assembled so far has helped to massage some of those concerns and the inclusion of Banderas should be another big point in favor of the film. With luck, Banderas and the rest of the cast will deliver a truly great performance in “Indiana Jones 5” that stays true to what made the original films so classic.
Production is currently underway, “Indiana Jones 5” is set to debut on July 29, 2022 in theaters.
By Jimmy Meyer