Disney confirms the next Indiana Jones film will be the last

Disney has confirmed the upcoming Indiana Jones movie will be the last.

Harrison Ford has been playing the heroic archaeologist since 1981, but Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will be the final film of the series.

Watch the trailer here:

It had long been thought that the movie would be the closing chapter for Indiana, given that Ford is 80 - and obviously irreplaceable.

Now Disney has confirmed it is the end of the line, with a press release labelling it the 'highly anticipated final instalment of the beloved franchise'.

It's sad news for Indiana fans, but at least it looks like it will be going out with the bang.

Remember what they did to Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in The Irishman? Well, this time around Ford is getting the years rolled off him.

Disney has really chucked a fair bit of cash at the film, making it one of the most expensive movies ever made with a total budget of more than $300 million (£241 million).

For the final outing, Steven Spielberg is not taking up the directorial role, passing that mantle onto James Mangold. Spielberg will still be on board as an executive producer, though.

Mangold said he has done his 'best' at the start of the movie to channel Oscar-winning filmmaker Spielberg, who directed the four previous films in the franchise.

Lucasfilm/Walt Disney Studios

Mangold - who has also directed superhero films The Wolverine and Logan - said: "[Steven's] been a huge influence on my work even before I stepped into a movie like this, so I tried to just stay inside my own voice."

Starring alongside Ford are Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag), Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory), John Rhys-Davies (Raiders of the Lost Ark), Toby Jones (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom), Boyd Holbrook (Logan), Ethann Isidore (Mortel) and Mads Mikkelsen (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore).

People were given a first look at the film at Disney's D23 Expo in September, and Ford choked up following the applause of the audience.

Lucasfilm/Walt Disney Studios

He said: "Indiana Jones movies are about fantasy and mystery, but they're also about heart.

"We have a really great story to tell, as well as a movie that will kick your a**."

With a lump in his throat, Ford praised the work of his co-star Waller-Bridge.

He told fans: "Thank you for making these films such an incredible experience for all of us.

"I'm very proud to say that this one is fantastic."

So let's hope Ford is right and Indiana's final film captures the magic of Raiders of the Lost Ark - rather than the horror of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

We'll be able to see for ourselves as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is set to arrive in cinemas on 30 June.

Topics: TV and Film, Disney

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey