'Indiana Jones 5' and 'Ant-Man 3' Reportedly Facing Major Setbacks
Production on Indiana Jones 5 and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has reportedly hit a snag due to an illness spreading among the crews in England. Both Disney films are being shot at the historic Pinewood Studios. Up to 50 people have been asked to leave the set after a norovirus outbreak. Norovirus is a contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea.
"The crew [has] been dropping like flies," a source told The Sun. "There's also a lot off with Covid, so it's been a double whammy. Two films have been affected." The source said that over 50 people who work on the two productions fell ill, but none of the major stars in either film have. The outbreak at the Indiana Jones set comes just a few days after production resumed with star Harrison Ford, who missed three months because of a shoulder injury he sustained while rehearsing a stunt.
Indiana Jones 5 is the first new entry in the franchise since Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull opened in 2008. It is also the first Indy film not directed by Steven Spielberg, as Ford v Ferrari filmmaker James Mangold took over. Mangold wrote the script with Jez and John-Henry Butterworth. Plot details are unknown, but the supporting cast joining Ford includes Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Kretschmann, Boyd Holbrook, Shaunette Renee Wilson, Toby Jones, and Antonio Banderas. The film, the first non-Star Wars Lucasfilm production since Disney bought the studio, opens on July 29, 2022.
Over the weekend, The Daily Mail claimed Waller-Bridge was being "tipped" to replace Ford as the face of the Indiana Jones franchise. It's still not known what her character's relation to Indy is in the film. Back in 2008, it looked like Shia LaBeouf would replace Ford after playing Indy's son Mutt in Crystal Skull, but that film's mixed response torpedoed that idea, and LaBeouf is not involved in Indiana Jones 5.
Meanwhile, Quantumania is the third Ant-Man film, following the character's 2015 solo movie and the 2018 follow-up Ant-Man and the Wasp. It is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase Four. Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly are back as Ant-Man and the Wasp, as well as Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer. Jonathan Majors plays the villain Kang the Conquerer after he played another version of the character in the Disney+ series Loki. Peyton Reed is directing from a script by Jeff Loveness. Quantumania is scheduled to hit theaters on Feb. 17, 2023.