Once upon a time (last summer), the internet wondered if Chris Pratt might be the new Jennifer Lawrence. I never figured this one out. Perhaps because they’re both adorable in interviews? JLaw feels different. She delivers a few reliable soundbites in every feature interview. Pratt hasn’t nailed that yet. Like JLaw, he’s very good at talking about food and appealing to the opposite sex, but he slips up sometimes. Like when he talks about shooting varmint for fun and alienates a good chunk of his fanbase.
I definitely noticed that Pratt is more vulnerable to gossip burnout than JLaw. He’s also a franchise star with Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World. Two franchises at once is optimal. Any more would risk audience fatigue. If these rumors are correct, Pratt may soon be wearing the Indy hat. The internet seems supportive so far (you can see a photoshop mockup of Indy Pratt here). Casting rumor, please:
Here’s one from the helluva good idea department. Marvel offerings are soaring, and Star Wars is being reinvigorated by director JJ Abrams. Now, Disney has just started to turn its attention to reviving the Indiana Jones franchise after buying the rights from Paramount in 2013. I’m cautioned that while things are very early, I hear the studio has set its sights on Chris Pratt as the swashbuckling archaeologist they hope to build the new franchise around, the role made famous by Harrison Ford in Raiders Of The Lost Ark. Pratt jumped to leading-man movie status with his performance in last year’s blockbuster Guardians Of The Galaxy for Marvel and Disney. He starts The Magnificent Seven with Denzel Washington and director Antoine Fuqua in April for MGM and Sony, and there’s the inevitable Guardians Of The Galaxy sequel. Disney won’t comment and all this is admittedly early, so let’s chalk it up as a dishy informed rumor for now and keep an eye on it.
[From Deadline]
Ugh. Don’t get me wrong. If there has to be an Indy reboot, Pratt feels like a solid contender. These films aren’t high art or something that a studio needs to agonize over for casting. They simply need a guy who’s proven himself able to carry a movie. Someone who can manage irony and sarcasm is a plus. Pratt would do a fine job, but I share Kaiser’s sentiment about the live action Beauty. Does this reboot even need to be made?
If this rumor is true, so much for Pratt saying, “I’m going to do only the best stuff or nothing.”
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet & WENN
I think the real question is “do we really need an Indiana Jones reboot?”
Reboot is the go to for everything Hollywood these days! but seriously enough now!
@HoneyBea
exactly jeeez no original ideas so lets remake all these films for those who weren’t born then or too young to remember must capitalize on that income. I won’t be seeing it my £10 is precious
This.
Agreed. Let’s leave some classics alone.
Seriously. I actually think if it HAD to be made, Pratt is a decent choice but truly, it does not need a reboot.
Yup! But Hollywood can’t pass up a chance at easy money. And some actors that grew up with these iconic films want to be a part of them. Even if that means they’ll tarnish the franchise it’s worth it.
This will only put Pratt in the public eye more and give him more chances to talk himself into a corner.
Disclaimer: I haven’t liked him since his twitter cat giveaway.
*high fives FLORC*
YES to everything you said here.
I agree the original can’t be outdone; if you didn’t come of age when the original was released, you don’t realize how big it was for it’s time. THe panache and swagger and fun of the original can’t be replicated.
No, don’t need another version. Trying something original would be unique in this day and age. They should have stopped after Harrison and Sean.
Exactly. There are so few original ideas in Hollywood anymore. I keep waiting for CSI: Milwaukee (no offense to Milwaukee). I guess the original plan to do that last awful Indy movie and set up Shia as the new guy fell apart when Shia fell apart. I do like Chris Pratt and think he is probably a great choice if they do this, but wish they would find other things to do.
More to the point, do we need one starring a generic Hollywood meathead? I mean, thankfully Pratt is no Channing “Baked Potato” Tatum (all thick neck and crappy line-readings), but is he truly Hollywood’s 21st century answer to Harrison Ford? God help us if he is.
There is no reason to make this movie.
I thought they already rebooted it with Shia. Is this a reboot of a reboot of a reboot, like Batman has become?
Sure, why not? Like you said, it’s not like the Indiana Jones franchise is high art.
Of course, he’ll always be Andy Dwyer (on rollerblades, trying to drink out of a super straw) to me.
why why WHY people in Hollywood are obsessed with remaking the same films over and over again!!???? WHYYYYY?
Don’t they have new ideas? They pay writers to do this specific job!!
Indiana Jones is such an iconic movie I’m sure no one wants to see it again with a different actor.
At least I know I don’t.
I know! So many people out there, I’ll bet there are lots of wonderful ideas out there not getting produced because of whatever. It’s easier to make money off of a proven success, I guess.
I do like Pratt and I’d bet he’d be a good Indy, but there’s no need for another one … unless it becomes like the Bond films and goes on forever?
+1
Built in audience. Easy money.
The Magnificent Seven is an iconic movie and yes, they are going there again.
That (M7) bothers me a lot more than the Indy remake
…however, Pratt does NOT look like an academic. Maybe this time Indy will be just a beefy history channel tech?
Hollywood keeps re-making the same thing because recent box office performance shows that audiences would rather buy tickets to movies with familiar titles/characters than a new story. If a studio is going to spend $100 million to make a movie, and probably an additional $50 million on publicity, they want to be assured that they are not going to be forced to take a massive write-down. Thus, the continuing Batman, Spiderman, Godzilla, etc., films.
Sigh – at least its not Shia LeBouf but do they have to do a reboot? However, he is a good choice for the role – he def has a little of the Ford swagger about him that would transfer into the role thou i still love Sean Patrick Flanery as the young Indy.
I’m so sick of his face already. Plus his recent interviews have been such a turnoff.
Why does he make those stupid faces? It’s like he has Adrien Brodyitis.
Resting douche-face. He’s more handsome than AB, but yea.
No, no, no.
Indy is an archeologist, a badass, a charmer. I can’t buy this goofball as Indy.
Leave it alone.
He doesn’t look intelligent enough to pull off playing a professor. He’s also becoming overexposed.
Thank you for writing this, but you have to know that if this movie is indeed remade, they’re going to “reimagine” Indy, and he’ll no longer be a 1930s college professor and archeologist (average 2015 moviegoer: “Duh – what’s THAT?”). God only knows what he’ll be. Video game designer? Arms dealer? Ex-Navy Seal with a “lust for DANGER?”
All things considered, though, I’d rather see Pratt in the role than some smarmy a-hole such as Bradley Cooper or (to be honest) Jeremy Renner. Ugh.
UGH…I am experiencing burnout where Pratt is concerned. Let the Pratt-lash begin!. LOL!.
Pratt has two franchises already and he’s gearing up for another?. Well, whatever here’s hoping he at least takes some acting lessons along the way.
Oh, I agree Bedhead, he is not the male version of Jennifer Lawrence…give me a break. Pratt tries too hard to copy Jennifer Lawrence, that’s all.
Jules
Please explain how Pratt tries to copy Lawrence. I’ve never linked them before.
@FlorC: Last summer when Pratt became really popular after GotG, it seemed a lot of people were comparing him to Jennifer Lawrence (his personality, his talk show appearances, etc.,)and as far as I am concerned, it looked more like he just was trying to appeal to the Lawrence fans by emulating her.
As if his PR people told him to be the male version of Lawrence. It comes off as obvious to me.
I’ve been aware of him for 6 or 7 years now from Parks and Rec, and have seen various interviews and things with him over the years. I think that’s just his personality, I don’t see any change other than the amount of attention he’s gotten. The media may be treating him like the male JL, but I don’t think it’s him trying to be that.
Huh. I kind of still don’t see it, but I also know little of Lawrence. Outside of Dorito Dust.
I can see the link of her success being compared to post GotG success potential.
He’s certainly taken a few tumbles with his level or caring regarding any and all animals. Maybe that’s what throws the link for me. JL’s worse tumble was gas talk and odd faces.
Keep the old Indiana Jones I say, he is still sexy.
If we “must have” a reboot, he’s a good choice.
Really he is more vulnerable to Internet burn out? I don’t see that I think he is cute and funny and honestly if I never saw or heard from the overrated jennifer Lawrence again it would be to soon.
He was great in guardians but I am sick of Hollywood just remaking the same movies over and over. So pass on indie.
@Debbie: It’s the exact opposite for me…Pratt is incredibly overrated. Pratt is nowhere near as talented as Jennifer Lawrence.
But no one is saying he is a brilliant actor they are saying he is funny and good at blockbusters. Jlaw is pushed like she is Meryl Streep and I’ve yet to see range. She isn’t bad but she isn’t that great either. She is fine and personally in interviews I find her fake.
@Debbie: I agree, I don’t like the Meryl Streep comparison either for Lawrence or any other actress for that matter. I think critics heap praise on Lawrence because for an actress that has had little training, she is gifted, has great instincts. There were comparisons between Lawrence and Pratt that went beyond just the similar personalities but also as actors, and that’s crazy.
As far as genuine is concerned, again, it’s the opposite for me as it’s Pratt that I find to be fake. I also agree with what Tateru wrote downthread: Pratt doesn’t have the charm for the long haul…Lawrence does (see most recent example, Lawrence’s speech at the Producers Guild Awards).
I can’t see Pratt pulling that off…it’s even more impressive when you consider that Jennifer Lawrence is ten years younger than Pratt.
Too much bro-ness, not enough debonair.
I’m with you. Pratt can pull off wise cracking, “dun du dunn dunnn” Indiana, but he can’t pull off the sexy, vulnerable, professor Jones.
Personally, I’m just tired of him. He’s funny, but he doesn’t have the charm for the long haul.
+🍠🍠🍠🍠🍠,
Agreed.
You have such a way with words Kiddo… seriously, this is the best description yet for why Pratt (who I like) doesn’t work as Indie.
I know I’m biased (#1fan), but what about James McAvoy?
MUCH, much better.
I don’t want a reboot of this, but McAvoy is basically brilliant and would be wonderful in anything he does.
Yesssss to McAvoy.
I love James McAvoy but not as Indy, James does not have enough Indiana farm boy in him.
I don’t think they need to reboot but if they must do it, I think he could be a good choice and it’s definitely better then Shia- who is probably throwing a temper tantrum over this as we speak.
I would imagine Pratt does consider Indiana Jones to be the “best stuff”, as most other actors in his age range would as well. It’s not like it’s a supporting role in an Adam Sandler movie!
Shia is a better actor, though.
He absolutely is. People hate him, but he has way more range than Pratt.
He is, but I didn’t really like him in the 4th Indiana Jones, and lately his off screen antics have overshadowed his work for me. Plus i think he’s too unstable for them to hand a huge franchise to.
Shia’s talented, but I think when an actor has a personality like that it’s just really hard to separate them from their characters. It’s always gonna be Shia LaBeouf playing a character in a movie instead of just a character in a movie.
Did anyone else think that Guardians of the Galaxy was WAY, WAY overrated?
MRSBPITT: Raises hand high in the air. LOL!.
Yes, I thought GotG was incredibly overrated. It reminded me of one those low budget Saturday morning adventure shows I used to watch (which I suppose was what they were going for, actually) but, I just didn’t get the overwhelming love for it.
You can add me to the list. While I did enjoy it, I didn’t really get why people were raving about it the way they were. It was good, but it wasn’t *that* good.
STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This just turns my stomach. Hollywood is creatively bankrupt. They are making films destined to be inferior to the original.
Oh and at least Jennifer Lawrence (for better or worse) has shown some range. Pratt appears to be a one-trick action movie pony. It’s a good trick…but come on! Also, Indy was a college professor, an intellectual. Not Pratt’s fortay.
He does not have a even a small fraction of Harisson Ford’s charm. He comes across as a bit cocky.
No. No he isn’t.
But in his defense, it is because an Indiana Jones reboot is a stupid idea and no one is suited to it. Hollywood needs to start courting actual original stories instead of whining that no one comes to see the constant stream of poorly made reboots.
No, he’s not a good choice, he completely lacks intelligence and charisma required for the role.
Harrison Ford is the ONLY Indiana Jones.
YES!!!!!! And while we’re at it, Harrison is the ONLY Han Solo, too. 😉
I just don’t want a reboot – for me Harrison Ford WAS Indy and no one else can touch that role. He was and is a truly great movie star, having both charisma and talent and the ability/desire to live his private life quietly and being successful solely on the strength of his movies – something most current stars aren’t capable of doing.
That being said, I totally understand why a studio would make a new Indy movie instead of creating a big budget adventure with no brand name attached to it… But should Pratt or, God forbid, BCoop, get that whip? I don’t think they can do justice to such an iconic character.
No idea what crap Pratt has being saying in interviews as I find him bland as toast and never read stories about him, and Jo matter what roles he plays that would not change. This was an exception because Indy:-)
It is a disgusting money making ploy to ‘reboot/remake’ franchises that only ended a few years ago…. Batman, Spiderman, Fantastic 4, Indiana Jones… why? !?!?!
I know why – because dumb people watch them.
People watching these brain dead franchises are the reason well written interesting films are so few. We need more indy films, more female directors and better characters written for women of all ages. This simply will never happen when we are stuck in the era of frat boy macho gun movies with boobs and explosions.
Like A reboot cause It’d KILL Hollywood to come up with an original Idea and heaven forfend we haven’t seen enough reboot/teaser trailers of remakes in all of two effing days
It makes me FURIOUS how they essentially talk down to people with this stupid stuff, remakes sequels, marvel crap, Big explosions
UGH! I want to like Chris but the whole “shooting and skinning coyotes because they are a-holes” thing did turn me off to him. I think on the surface he’s a good choice for Indy because he’s handsome and has a good mastery of humor. I especially love smart ass humor. However, I’m not sure he can master the innate charm that someone like Harrison Ford has onscreen. The whole swooning class of women in Indiana Jones comes to mind. Or maybe I’m biased because I grew up swooning over Harrison Ford? That and I just can’t get over the fact that Chris hunts for sport. That ruins it for me. That and I just can’t see anyone filling Ford’s shoes.
Jurassic Park, Magnificent Seven, Indiana Jones. Chris Pratt, King of the Unnecessary remakes.
I don’t get the Chris Pratt love he seems so annoying to me.
I like Pratt, but he’s going to be veering into Ryan Reynolds territory if keeps it up at this rate. Don’t get me wrong, I also like Reynolds too and think he has untapped potential, but too many franchises and too much overexposure make people tire of your schtick pretty quickly.
Beth, you can admit to watching Green Lantern. We won’t judge. We all remember loving him before that mess.
Ha! Green Lantern was more of an issue of script and poor editing/effects, etc. And I fear the same will happen to Pratt: gets tied down to too many projects where one becomes an epic stinker beyond his control, but he still shoulders the blame for it.
No re-bbot. Why????/ But if they insist..Jensen Ackles. Yes.I said it. *hunkers down with vodka to await poster judgement*
Agreed.
He would be a decent choice if he didn’t have Jurassic World going on already. It could affect his career – not just because of Pratt-fatigue, but because people will inevitably compare it to the original which is most likely gonna be a billion times better. Oh, and he’s Starlord as well. A not small segment of people is becoming really tired of remakes and superheroes… and it seems Pratt is becoming the king of ’em.
I love Chris Pratt and I don’t automatically hate reboots/remakes, but…. does Pratt have the appeal and staying power to do the same act in 2-3 different franchises? I know “Blasphemy”, strike me down. Given the way JP and Indiana work, I really don’t see them allowing him to branch out from his usual style. I like it, and it warms my heart to see someone I’ve seen for years on end on TV, hit it big and not screw it up (Aubrey Plaza, girl we need to talk), so I’ll support it. Hopefully, he will balance it out with some well received Indies though.
If they HAVE to remake Indy, I would love to see Professor Jones as a woman. Like, Kristin Scott Thomas with a whip and a fedora…
Oh god yes. You can’t have too much of Pratt! He’s a refreshing welcome to the other mopey or deep byronic actors on the circuit. Unlike Captain America and Thor, he actually looks like he’s having fun and loves his job. I’m huge fan of the original and I wold love to see Pratt as Indy. Any other actor and I would argue not so much, we can leave the franchise alone. After all, Indy IV was a disaster.
No nono no no no no no no!!!
Lol…I didn’t see your comment until after I posted mine. That little 2-letter word was the only one streaming through my head the whole time I was reading the post (about there being a reboot, not Chris Pratt). 😉
Lol! Exactly how I feel. I have nothing against Chris Pratt but I do have have an issue with an Indy reboot.
YES. He’s perfect for the Indy reboot. Also, for everyone freaking out about reboots and remakes—study a little film history. This is not a recent development, movies have been remade since the days of silent cinema. What I’m saying is, get used to it.
How have I not heard about a possible Indiana Jones reboot until now?? No no no no no no no no NO! Even though Chris Pratt would be the ideal choice, there is only one Indy. Some things should never be touched, and this is DEFINITELY one of them!
“Not high art” – you realize that Raiders was nominated for 9 Academy Awards, including Best Picture??? It wasn’t just fluff!
I have to laugh at the outrage over the proposed reboot of Indiana Jones. Everything old is new again in Hollywood, it’s been that way forever. They’ve been recycling there since the silent era and why shouldn’t they? The original was fun but hardly great movie making, Harrison Ford has already beaten the franchise to death, let someone else breath new life into it.
3 major franchises is definetly a overkill. He doesn’t need this with Guardians and Jurassick.