Indiana Jones 5 Loses Its Writer

Indiana Jones 5--or whatever Lucasfilm ends up calling it--is moving forward without one of its writers. David Koepp, who wrote Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, has exited the project.

Koepp confirmed to Collider that he is no longer writing the movie. He clarified that he left when director Steven Spielberg exited the project. Logan director James Mangold is now directing Indiana Jones 5, and Koepp says he deserves a chance to restart the project as he sees fit.

"When James Mangold came in … he deserves a chance to take his shot at it," Koepp said. "I'd done several versions with Steven. And when Steven left, it seemed like the right time to let Jim have his own take on it and have his own person or himself write it."

Koepp is a prolific Hollywood writer. He wrote Jurassic Park and its sequel The Lost World, as well as the original Mission: Impossible and the first Spider-Man starring Tobey Maguire. Koepp also wrote the screenplays for War of the Worlds and the Dan Brown movies Angels & Demons and Inferno.

Losing Spielberg was a big deal for the fifth Indiana Jones movie, as he directed all of the previous instalments. While Spielberg won't direct, he is staying attached as a producer. Additionally, series star Harrison Ford--who plays Indiana Jones--is returning.

There is no word on who may replace Koepp as the writer on Indiana Jones 5.

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has confirmed that Indiana Jones 5 will be a "continuation" of the series instead of a reboot, but no story details are confirmed yet. The movie--whatever Lucasfilm decides to call the movie--is scheduled to be released in theatres in 2022.