Robert Pattinson Denies He's Replacing Harrison Ford in Everything

Save the "frail old man" jokes in regards to Harrison Ford's injury on the Star Wars: Episode VII set, he'll recover in time to finish up playing Han Solo, possibly for the last time. Although there's probably a good joke in there somewhere about him getting injured now when he skated through The Expendables 3 with no problem. Anyway, an unintended consequence of the injury is stirring up recent rumors Ford, who is now 71 years old, could be replaced by Robert Pattinson as Indiana Jones or Han Solo in a Star Wars spinoff.

Just how credible those rumors ever were is up for debate but that didn't stop Pattinson from getting asked about them by People while discussing his new film, The Rover. And as expected Pattinson not only denied the rumors, he sounds as if he's never heard of them. When asked about Indy, he said...

Pattinson: "I don't know why. Why is that coming out? I honestly don't understand what it's all about. Man, i wish." 

And it was much the same when questioned about Star Wars...

Pattinson: "I didn't even know there was a Han Solo spinoff coming out. Sounds like a cool spinoff. I'll watch it." 

What? You mean R-Patz isn't obsessed with every bit of Star Wars news like the rest of us? Now that I truly find hard to believe.  Pattinson has been steering clear of franchises ever since the Twilight nightmare ended, so it never really seemed likely he'd want to be part of the Disney machine. After press on The Rover is done he'll jump into Olivier Assayas' gangster film, Idol's Eye, which shoots this November.

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Unlikely Rumor Has Robert Pattinson as Next Indiana Jones and in 'Star Wars'

This is a day of scurrilous rumors, apparently. So the Emily Blunt in 'Dawn of Justice' thing is almost certainly untrue, but it pales in comparison to the hokum that is The Daily Star's latest report. In it, the rag site claims Robert Pattinson, who has spent the last few months working with every auteur he can find, tops a shortlist to be the next Indiana Jones. Not only that, but he's "committed" to be in the new Star Wars movies.

At least the site gives us some quotes to chew on, although they sound like they rolled off the "Hollywoodspeak 2000"conveyor belt.

“They feel that the series has huge potential on many levels, starting with the films leading to other spin-offs like games which can generate more money than movies.

“Rob is top of the initial list because he has showed his acting stripes away from Twilight."

That last point is extremely debatable, and....well, yeah, Disney might want to do some Indiana Jones spinoffs or something. Nothing novel there. The story also notes that Harrison Ford is "wrinkly" and too old to play Indiana Jones anymore.

But if we're going to treat this with any level of seriousness, then let's not forget that Pattinson hated that whole Twilight experience and the chances of him doing another huge franchise, let alone two, is extremely slim and slim just went out to lunch. 

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Cinema Royale #56- Noah; Sabotage

The controversy surrounding Darren Aronofsky's Noah has led some to write off the Biblical epic, but on this week's Cinema Royale "The Cinema Siren" +Leslie Combemale joins in to look at whether the film can be enjoyed by all audiences. Noah stars Russell Crowe, Emma Watson, Jennifer Connolly, and Anthony Hopkins.

Plus, Arnold Schwarzenegger gears up for Sabotage, the cop thriller from the director of End of Watch!

All this plus news on Terminator: Genesis, Chris Evans' future as Captain America, Indiana Jones, and more!

Cinema Royale is part of the Hashtag Studios Broadcast Network. Listen in and subscribe here to get the best in movie reviews, news, celebrity interviews, and more sent your way every single week!

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Frank Darabont Piles On, Calls 'Indiana Jones' Rumors "Inaccurate"

Hey, everybody dog pile on the Indiana Jones rumors! A few days ago the Internet proper blew up when a rumor surfaced that Disney was looking to recast Indiana Jones in a fifth film, possibly with Bradley Cooper in the title role. Part of that debunked story, originating at Latino Review, also said that Frank Darabont (The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, The Shawshank Redemption) had pitched an idea for the film to Disney. Well now Darabont has responded to that, telling AICN that it's pure bupkiss.

Darabont: "This is an internet rumor with not a shred of truth in it. I have not pitched an idea for a proposed Indiana Jones movie, nor has anybody approached me with such an idea. The inaccurate report on Latino Review was the first I'd heard of it."

Bam! Calling out the site by name, too. Chances are Darabont is telling the truth here, but we know Disney is going to get around to a new Indiana Jones movie at some point. We also know that Harrison Ford won't be around forever and someone else is going to don the fedora. It just may be awhile before we see that happen. 

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Producer Says Bradley Cooper as Indiana Jones Rumors are 'Ridiculous'

Ever since a rumor surfaced that Disney had Bradley Cooper on their list to take over as Indiana Jones in fifth film, it's been nothing but raging debate on the subject. Of course the reaction has been split with some liking the idea of Indiana Jones being recast ala James Bond, while others don't want to see anybody but Ford in the role. But this was all just a rumor at this point; a sketch rumor at that, and it's already being debunked by someone who would definitely know.

Producer Frank Marshall, who has been involved with every Indiana Jones movie to date, hit Twitter to smack down the rumor in short order...

Due to the ridiculous rumors that keep popping up, like agents pipe dreams, I will stop commenting on our projects until I have real news.
— Frank Marshall (@LeDoctor) March 26, 2014

So who knows what's really going on, but it does seem unlikely that Disney is going to let Indiana Jones idle for much longer. It was Latino Review that first broke the story to begin with, and they put perhaps the finest point on this whole thing...

You really believe that Disney bought the Indy franchise so that it begins & ends with Ford?
— elmayimbe (@elmayimbe) March 26, 2014

Overall I think LR's sourcing was off.....for now. None of us are stupid. We know Disney is going to do more Indiana Jones movies, and they will do them without Harrison Ford when he's done. They just don't seem to be working on them just yet.

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Rumor: Disney Eying Bradley Cooper as the Next Indiana Jones

When Disney swallowed up Lucasfilm and the rights to Star Wars, the natural assumption was they would also get cracking on a new Indiana Jones adventure. But that didn't happen, with Disney CEO Alan Horn stating quite simply "We haven’t done anything. We don’t have  a story. We need a story.” It was some time later that Disney gave all of those Indy fans hope by acquiring the rights to all future Indiana Jones movies, but still there's been no movement on a fifth film even though Harrison Ford is eager to do one.

That could all be about to change if the latest bombshell rumor is true. According to Latino Review, Disney recognizes the window of opportunity to get moving on a new Indiana Jones film with Ford is closing fast. The actor is in his 70s now and is expected to return for Star Wars: Episode VII and (possibly) a new Blade Runner film, meaning there are only so many action movies left for him. The story goes if they don't start production on it by a specific date, then they'll move on to somebody else as the wise-cracking adventurer. Are we talking reboot, here? Well, not exactly.

Instead, the plan would be to recast Indy the same way James Bond has been recast over the years. And apparently tops on Disney's list to take over the role is Bradley Cooper. He's just one of a few names they are considering at this point, and it doesn't sound as if any formal talks have begun with anybody. George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Ford had come to an agreement on what the next story should be, but that was a long time ago before Disney got into the mix. Now they're basically starting from scratch, with a pitch apparently coming from Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption).

Basically, what we have is Bradley Cooper ending up on a wishlist for a film we know Disney is going to make at some point. The Indiana Jones franchise is too profitable to let sit in limbo for much longer.

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Disney Acquires Rights to Future Indiana Jones Movies

When Disney acquired LucasFilm and set off on a course that will bring us J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: Episode VII in a couple of years, one thing that was mostly overlooked was the state of the Indiana Jones franchise. Disney reps didn't ignore it, in fact they made it clear there were no plans to bring the iconic Harrison Ford character (one of many, really) back to theaters. Well apparently someone has crunched the numbers and figured out that it might be a pretty good idea to bring Indy back.

Disney has struck a deal to acquire the full move rights to future Indiana Jones movies, both marketing and distribution. Paramount was the studio that distributed the first four films and they retain control over those, plus they'll be receiving a slice of any profits new movies could generate. And that could be a substantial amount which is why Disney was more than willing to agree to these terms. Nobody liked Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and it still managed to bank nearly $800M, and that doesn't count merchandising.

So how long before we see Indy back on the big screen? Nobody knows, and Disney may want to make sure Star Wars is on solid footing before committing to anything. What we do know is that Harrison Ford is more than willing to don his fedora and crack the whip one more time, saying earlier this year...

"I would do it in a New York minute, yes. I don’t think there is any barrier to Indiana Jones being an old fart. I’m old enough that we don’t need Connery any more. I’m old enough to play my own father!"

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Michael B. Jordan Confirms 'Star Wars 7' Rumor; Harrison Ford Unsure About Han Solo Return

It's tough to keep track of all the Star Wars: Episode VII rumors, especially with everybody in Hollywood currently testing for a role, but one that stood out centered on Fruitvale Station star Michael B. Jordan. He had apparently read for a part in the film, with the speculation leaning towards him playing a young member of the Calrissian clan. The actual role probably won't be revealed for quite some time, but Jordan has confirmed to HuffPo that the audition did take place.

Jordan: “I mean, everybody’s going in on this project. They’re trying to figure out what they want. That’s another incredible franchise. It’s pretty crazy! … We’ll see how it happens. I don’t know how I can do everything.”

If Jordan seems a little overwhelmed it's probably because he is. He's been attached to everything lately, from a young Apollo Creed film, to the role of Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four, to a role in the Independence Day sequel.  There's such a thing as "striking while the iron is hot" but there's also the possibility of burn out or overexposure, two things Jordan needs to weigh very carefully.

One guy who also appears to be weighing his options is Harrison Ford, the screen legend who recently has been chatting up a return for Blade Runner 2, but has long been expected to come back as Han Solo. Appearing on The Graham Norton Show, Ford sounded crotchety and a little disinterested in J. J. Abrams' Star Wars franchise, saying "I've not quite made the choice" to return. Interestingly, he was joined on the show by Benedict Cumberbatch who has also been connected to the film. It's possible that Ford is just playing coy or angling for a better contract by feigning disinterest. That also may be why he suddenly got very perky when the subject of Indiana Jones came up, admitting he would be extremely happy to go on a fifth adventure...

Ford: “I would do [Indiana Jones 5] in a New York minute, yes. I don’t think there is any barrier to Indiana Jones being an old fart. I’m old enough that we don’t need (Sean) Connery any more. I’m old enough to play my own father!’”

 Unfortunately, Lucasfilm has basically taken Indiana Jones off the table for the time being as their focus is solely on Star Wars. Time will tell if we see Ford involved with either.

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Blu-Ray Deal of the Day: Indiana Jones Blu-Ray Collection for $74.99!

It's finally here! After what has seemed like an eternity of waiting, all four Indiana Jones movies are now available in Blu-Ray together in one complete set! While the release date has not been confirmed, you can now pre-order the collection for only $74.99! That's 25% off the suggested price, and with the pre-order price guarantee, you will ALWAYS get the lowest price if it should drop between now and release. You know you want it! Orders yours today just by clicking here!

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Harrison Ford wants to kill off Indiana Jones? I say "Go for it"!

Been a minute since there was any good Indiana Jones info worth reporting on. Most of what we've heard so far hasn't amounted to much of anything. There's not really any movement on the film as it stands right now. No writer, no casting, no plot, no nothin'. The last thing I remember was Harrison Ford saying he, George Lucas, and Spielberg had agreed on a "germ of an idea". That was way back in March. Shia Labeouf did say that he thought a script was being worked on, but it came off as so flimsy I didn't even bother with it. Now comes this little nugget from the gossip site, ShowbizSpy, that if true(unlikely, but whatever) could mean that Ford is ready to put Indy and his globe trotting adventures behind him.

The site reports that Ford told both Spielberg and Lucas that he wants to kill off Indiana Jones in the next flick, passing the torch presumably to his son. Labeouf played his son, Mutt Williams, in Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. The site goes on to say...

“George especially is resisting the notion but Steven is considering it. Funnily enough Harrison wanted the same for Han Solo in the final Star Wars but George put an end to it. This time he doesn’t have all the say though.”

Rumors and gossip are ShowbizSpy's stock 'n trade, so we'll likely not know if this is true for quite awhile. Like I said earlier, there hasn't been much public movement on another Indiana Jones flick in awhile. I hope it's true, though, because as much as I love Indy I'm ready for it to move on, and I'm not convinced they'd really continue the franchise without Harrison Ford attached.

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Spielberg, Lucas, Ford Agree on Indiana Jones 5 Plot

This all sounds like a bunch of running in place. Back in September, Harrison Ford stated that he, George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg had agreed on the form for yet another adventure starring Indiana Jones.  In a recent interview with the BBC, Harrison Ford basically confirmed the same thing yet again.

"Steven [Spielberg] and George [Lucas] and I are sort of agreed on a germ of an idea and we're seeing what comes of it."

"The process works like this," he said. "We come to some basic agreement and then George goes away for a long time and works on it.

"Then Steven and I get it in some form, some embryonic form.

"Then if we like it we start working with George on it and at some point down the line it's ready and we do it."

Ok, so it's a germ of an idea. Does that mean we can wash this idea away with a little Purell™? Stop this thing from happening?

Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull was a mammoth hit, raking in over $780M worldwide. So as long as Harrison Ford isn't strapped to a wheelchair, eating his dinner through a straw and rockin' a pair of Depends, it's going to happen. Just don't look for it anytime soon. My biggest worry is that they will officially hand the Indy torch over to Shia Labeouf in some way. The more movies they make, the more likely it is that will happen.

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Ford Ready to Whip Out Indiana Jones 5!

Most of us were disappointed with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, right? Raise your hands. Good. Despite that, it felt good seeing the hat and whip again, even if a Shia Labeouf was only a few feet away. Well, now the crew is getting back together again after much speculation, most of which perpetuated from Steven Spielberg himself. Now we get confirmation from Harrison Ford from an interview with Le Figaro in France:

"The story for the new Indiana Jones is in the process of taking form. Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and myself are agreed on what the fifth adventure will concern, and George is actively at work. If the script is good, I'll be very happy to put the costume on again."

"If the script is good". That didnt' stop you from doing the last film, did it? It doesn't matter, the fact that this is happening has me both psyched and dismayed. If we parse Ford's statement a little bit, it reads as if George Lucas is handling scripting chores himself. That could be a double edged sword. We've seen his handling of certain other legendary franchises and the often childish direction most of those have taken. But then again, this is Indiana Jones. And even at it's worst, it's always going to be fun and thrilling. I'll be keeping my eye on this one.

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