Disney says new ‘Indiana Jones’ film likely 2 or 3 years away

With the recent news that Disney was purchasing the rights to the lucrative “Indiana Jones” property from Paramount, it was only natural to expect that turnaround on a new Indy film would be as fast as the studio’s announcement of the upcoming “Star Wars” film. 

However, Disney has revealed that it will be at least two or three years before Jones hops on a plane for his next globe-trotting trek.

“We haven”t done anything [on the film]” said Disney chairman Alan Horn at Variety”s Dealmakers Breakfast on Friday. “We don”t have a story. We need a story.”

He went on to say that the studio and LucasFilm didn’t want to start developing the film until the deal was sealed.

“It didn”t make sense to produce the movie at Disney and then have it be distributed and marketed by Paramount,” Horn told Variety.

Although nothing is official, it’s being assumed that star Harrison Ford will don the fedora once again for the film, with director Steven Spielberg and producer George Lucas possibly returning as well. The trio last teamed for 2008’s “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.”

Meanwhile, across the galaxy, Horn also noted that Disney is one step closer to bringing “Star Wars” back to the big screen. He said that “Episode VII’s” script, by Lawrence Kasdan and director J.J. Abrams (with an earlier draft by Michael Arndt), will be ready in January.

Now that the “Jones” deal is in place, Ford has allegedly agreed to return as Han Solo, along with his original trilogy co-stars Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill.

Disney and Lucasfilm are still planning to release a new “Star Wars” film every year, with 2015′s “Star Wars: Episode VII” kicking things off.

Lucas — who last directed 2005’s “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” — is serving as a consultant on the films. 

 “Star Wars: Episode VII” will be released December 18, 2015. 

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