The cinema is packed for the reboot of Indiana Jones, the beloved franchise about a fedora-wearing, snake-fearing archaeologist helmed by Harrison Ford.
But, well into his 70s, Ford is a bit too old to put on the leather jacket again. So, this time around, the archaeologist is ...
... that dude from Parks and Recreation?
Pratt as Dr Jones? This scenario may not come true. But that is the word on the street about a blockbuster yet-to-come.
“Disney has just started to turn its attention to reviving the Indiana Jones franchise after buying the rights from Paramount in 2013,” Mike Fleming of Deadline Hollywood wrote. “I’m cautioned that while things are very early, I hear the studio has set its sights on Chris Pratt as the swashbuckling archaeologist.”
In case anyone got too excited — or, depending on one’s view of Pratt, depressed — Fleming stressed his information was preliminary.
“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,” he wrote.
Though once best known as the shoe-shiner Andy Dwyer on Parks and Recreation, Pratt recently proved he could lead an action-comedy franchise: Guardians of the Galaxy, which grossed more than $300 million (Dh1.1 billion) last year. He’ll also star in this year’s coming reboot of the Jurassic Park franchise, Jurassic World.
Some were measured in their enthusiasm.
“I don’t know if I’m crazy, but I sort of think he could pull off Indiana Jones?” USA Today’s “For the Win” wrote. “I mean, it will be a bit of a stretch to imagine the guy who played the bumbling doofus of Andy Dwyer on Parks and Recreation could be a world-renowned archaeologist.”
But given his deepening resume, making Pratt the torchbearer for another giant piece of cinema history — one likely worth hundreds of millions of dollars — seems logical.
“Hey, why not?” the Huffington Post wrote. “Give Pratt all the franchises. He’s awesome.”
