MOVIE NEWS – Director James Mangold has countered the rumors about Indiana Jones 5 test screenings, according to which the film was hugely disappointing.

The internet loves nothing more than spreading rumors about behind-the-scenes issues with certain movies and TV shows. According to multiple reports, Indiana Jones 5 appears to be the latest production to receive “overwhelmingly negative” test screenings for Harrison Ford’s swan song as the intrepid archaeologist. However, director James Mangold responded directly to the rumors of disappointment, denying it all by simply saying that there weren’t even any film screenings.

Indiana Jones 5 is still not officially titled and fans are still waiting for any trailer for the movie. After multiple delays to the release schedule due to Covid, Harrison Ford’s on-set injury, and Disney’s general retooling, many worried about what would happen with Ford’s final Indiana Jones film. However, it should not be forgotten that Top Gun: Maverick has suffered several long delays, and let’s see what happened there.

Responding to multiple Twitter posts, Mangold not only denied stories that test audiences hated the film, but also doubled down on his commitment that Indiana Jones would not be replaced by a female character, or indeed anyone else. In his longest answer, he said:

“Well Paulo, it’s up to you who you believe – an anonymous troll called ‘basement dweller’ & ‘doomcock’ or the actual director of the film. Indiana Jones will never be replaced. In any scenario . Not in any cut. It will never be discussed.”

Mangold commented on this and other speculations as follows:

No. There was no screening at all.

There’s something about knowing that a character isn’t coming back that makes the movie’s ending have to be both satisfying and give a character a fitting closure. When it comes to Harrison Ford’s final role as Indiana Jones, the question is how exactly the film will end the story of one of cinema’s greatest adventurers.

Of course, there is no answer to this yet, as fans are still waiting to see any footage from Indiana Jones 5. While there have been rumors of time travel, Ford’s age exemption, and many other convoluted theories about where Jones’ final adventure might lead, the one thing that seems certain is that no one should be expecting someone to replace Fedora when he’s gone.

The 5th most important task of Indiana Jones is to give moviegoers a film like the one that introduced the character in 1981. While the original sequels are some of the most beloved films of a generation, the belated Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was a box office hit, but failed to really hit the mark with audiences despite a decent 78% fresh rating from critics. Will Indiana Jones 5 bring back the magic of the franchise? If James Mangold is right, the answer might be yes.

Source: MovieWeb