Harrison Ford made a surprise appearance Thursday at the Lucasfilm panel at Star Wars Celebration to announce the “Indiana Jones 5” release date.
Ford, 79, took to the stage to thunderous applause as composer John Williams and a lively orchestra played the “Indy” theme, According to The Hollywood Reporter.
Ford announced that the fifth installment will be shown in cinemas on June 30, 2023, saying it is “really proud of the movie we made.”
He also gave a belated congratulations to Williams on his 90th birthday in February.
“It is a special honor for me to be able to congratulate John on his 90th birthday,” Ford told the excited audience. “I told John on another occasion that we have a chance to be together, and that music follows me everywhere I go. And you know what? I’m so happy.”
Director James Mangold will direct the fifth film, replacing Steven Spielberg, who directed the first four “Indy” films. Ford did not discuss any plot details during the announcement.
Originally, “Indy 5” had a release date of July 10, 2020. That was pushed back to July 29 this year, but the COVID-19 pandemic and Spielberg’s work on “West Side Story” pushed it further back.