The actor is currently making the rounds to promote “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” which saw him step up to take on the role of Grindelwald, which Johnny Depp had vacated. But that isn’t the only blockbuster series that the franchise-hopping star is helping to revive. Next summer he’ll star in the currently untitled fifth Indiana Jones movie, playing a mysterious role that is rumored to be a villain. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Mikkelsen professed his love of the Indiana Jones franchise and described his experience of working with Harrison Ford. “Indiana Jones 5” will be the first entry in the franchise not to be directed by Steven Spielberg, with “Logan” and “Walk the Line” director James Mangold taking on the task. But Mikkelsen does not think there will be a noticeable drop in quality or shift in tone, as he said that Mangold is honoring Spielberg’s style.
“It felt like a Spielberg film, though it’s obviously James making it with the same vision,” Mikkelsen said. That is welcome news for Mikkelsen, as he is a huge fan of Spielberg’s original movies. He described “Raiders of the Lost Ark” as “one of my favorite films.” “It just oozed that golden period of serials from the 1940s — and that’s in the fifth film as well,” he said. “They’re going heavily back to the first and second film and getting that original feel, the original Indy, something dense and epic.” While Harrison Ford still keeps a very active schedule, appearing in blockbusters and recently booking his first major TV role, fans would be forgiven for wondering if the 79-year-old actor could still keep up with the physical demands of carrying an action movie. But after working with Ford, Mikkelsen thinks those concerns are extremely misguided. “Not just as an actor, but physically. I remember the first day we were shooting, it was a night shoot, then we stopped at 5 a.m. — and then he got on his mountain bike and went biking for 50 kilometers,” Mikkelsen said. “Harrison is a monster of a man, a very nice monster.” “Indiana Jones 5” is currently scheduled to be released in theaters on June 30, 2023. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
