A new rumor concerning Lucasfilm’s upcoming Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny film claims actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s role in the film is being significantly reduced.
This latest rumor comes from YouTuber Overlord DVD who states, “It seems everything is shifting on Indy 5 and you’re going to laugh your a** off when you hear this folks because it not only looks like [Phoebe Waller-Bridge] has lost her new hat, it looks like [Phoebe Waller-Bridge] is being cut out of the movie as much as possible.”
The YouTuber continued, “From what I’ve heard, and again I’m stressing that this is just a rumor. This is a highly fluid situation as you might imagine. Disney’s come to realize that Phoebe Waller-Bridge is problematic in the park. Lines that were meant to be funny and endearing in a sassy Princess Leia kind of way are delivered with Fleabag’s patented snarkiness. She’s abrasive. She’s insulting to Indy and she just weighs down the movie.”
He later states, “But the bottom line is, folks, in addition to a new ending they are radically re-edting the film, sources say, to introduce a new element in the story. Phoebe Waller-Bridge gets kidnapped and vanishes for a large part of the film. And she has to be saved by Indy.”
Overlord DVD then details, “I don’t know if they previously had her get kidnapped and they’re just moving that part to earlier in the film or if they’re trying to do a quick reshoot to cover this. I don’t have any more information on that. Though I hope to have more to confirm or deny this rumor in the coming weeks.”
“But I have been told aside from this that they’re cutting as much of Phoebe’s stuff as they can to minimize her impact on the film and lighten the movie up,” he reiterated.
As he concluded his video, Overlord DVD asserted, “This is not going to save the movie, folks, but it is interesting that it appears at this point, I cautiously say, that [Kathleen Kennedy] is not going to get her way.”
He added, “Indy is not going to be replaced at the end of the movie by Phoebe Waller-Bridge although his death is still in question.”
These alleged changes to Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s role in the film reportedly come after Disney CEO Bob Iger screened it.
Overlord DVD explained at the beginning of his video that one of his Hollywood spies informed him, “As you know Bob Iger has returned to the scene of the crime to head up Disney. Well, he’s been putting out fires. Allegedly over the holidays he finally got to sit down and watch Indy 5 according to someone in the know. Bob allegedly watched the entire thing and never said a word.”
He continued, “After the movie was done he allegedly called Kathleen Kennedy and asked her was she really responsible for what he witnessed. Allegedly, after a few moments, Iger said to Kennedy, ‘Well, I’ll give you two choices: either you fix this or you can foot the bill. Because I won’t allow this to shown.”
This rumor comes in the wake of composer John Williams claiming Lucasfilm planned to reshoot a new ending in December.
He told an audience at a concert in Italy, “Here are three pieces from Indiana Jones 5. I felt we would be finished with Indiana Jones after four. You know Harrison Ford. You all know who Harrison Ford is. And Harrison is 78 years old, but he’s much younger than am. Well, I thought, ‘Aw if he can do five of them, I have to try to do the final five also.”
He then states, “So, we have just about completed the film. We have maybe another ending to shoot and to record. Maybe in a couple weeks.”
Last night, John Williams told his audience that they are shooting a new ending to Indiana Jones V in a couple weeks.
Thanks to @doomcock for the find. Added captions for you.@wdwpro1 @ValliantRenegad pic.twitter.com/FZUOpjOpX7
— Jonas J. Campbell (@JonasJCampbell) December 14, 2022
The film’s director James Mangold claimed Williams was “mistaken” when questioned about his comments on Twitter in December.
Mangold tweeted, “John was mistaken. Maybe read Twitter too much.”
He then asserted, “We’re not shooting new endings. Never did. The film is 99% finished & being rated by MPAA. This imagined zany ending w/ Indy being erased & replaced is a fever dream of wounded folks angry about other films I did not make.”
However, Mangold would also respond to another user claiming Williams is “fully informed.”
He wrote, “I agree that he’s one of the greatest composers in the history of film. And also one of the most lovely people on earth. And he’s fully informed.”
Early rumors regarding Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s role in the film claimed she would replace Indiana Jones by the end of the movie.
Overlord DVD reported back in June 2021, “Two endings are supposedly being considered in this script. I guess they’ve been written and they are going to shoot both of them. Both endings allegedly have old Indiana Jones dying at the end of this movie.”
“But in one of the rumored endings, young Indiana Jones dies alongside old Indiana Jones and Phoebe Waller-Bridge swoops in like a vulture, picks the hat up, and takes his place moving forward,” he adds.
RELATED: Rumor: Phoebe Waller-Bridge To Replace Indiana Jones As Female Archaeology Professor
This rumor would seemingly be corroborated by The Daily Mail who also reported the film had multiple endings and that Indiana Jones would hand over the bullwhip to Waller-Bridge’s character.
The Daily Mail reported, “A handful of different endings have been shot and are being shown to test audiences. In one, Indy dies but not before handing over his bullwhip to Phoebe’s character.”
Overlord DVD further reported this past November, “We’ve been told out of the six endings they tested the best one gets a 35% approval from test audiences.”
“We’ve been told that Bridge put the hat on in every ending,” he added.
“All my spies actually said was Phoebe Waller-Bridge puts on Indy’s hat, takes Indy’s whip, and in a brave and stunning display of girl power she becomes the besest Indy evar at the end of all six version of the movie,” he clarified.
What do you make of this latest rumor claiming Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s role in the film is being reduced after Bob Iger saw a screening of the film?