Steven Spielberg on a female Indiana Jones: We would have to change the name from Jones to Joan

Hollywood is moving with time and so is its movies. Being in sync with public sentiments has meant that the industry is now pushing for greater representation of women. This comes after the wave of women’s movements like Time’s Up and Me Too. The effect of these movements does not seem to stop at just celebrities wearing colour coded attires to the red carpet. Veteran director Steven Spielberg when asked if he would ever cast a woman as Indiana Jones had the perfect answer in place.

“We would have to change the name from Jones to Joan. And there would be nothing wrong with that,” the director told The Sun during an interview. His practical answer could very well be related to his absolute support for these movements.

Spielberg’s statement comes after Hollywood had in 2017 announced a role reversal in one of its major sci-fi series Doctor Who. The role primarily created for a male time machine travelling explorer recently announced a female protagonist. For the British cult television series, this involves rewriting the role for a female lead. Spielberg seems to have similar thoughts in mind.

The change in gender however may happen later. The fifth franchise of the Indiana Jones brand will hit the floors in April next year. “This will be Harrison Ford’s last Indiana Jones movie, I am pretty sure, but it will certainly continue after that,” added the director.