Steven Spielberg will not direct Indiana Jones 5

Veteran filmmaker Steven Spielberg has vacated the director's chair of Indiana Jones for the first time in the franchise's history. According to reports, Disney is now in early negotiations with director James Mangold, best known for delivering hits like Ford vs Ferrari and Hugh Jackman's last superhero movie Logan, to helm the long-awaited fifth instalment of the series.

Spielberg, who kickstarted the franchise with the Harrison Ford-starrer Raiders of the Lost Ark, will remain as a hands-on producer for Indiana Jones 5. It is rumoured that the veteran filmmaker's decision to not direct the fifth movie stems from his desire to hand over the franchise's reigns to the younger generation.

He had taken a similar step with Jurassic World, a reboot of his Jurassic Park trilogy, that was directed by Colin Trevorrow in 2015.

James Mangold is a favourite of Disney after the success of the Matt Damon and Christian Bale-starrer Ford vs Ferrari. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, and won for best editing and best sound editing.

The director is already working on a Bob Dylan project with the studio, starring Timothee Chalamet, and a feature adaptation of the Don Winslow bestseller, The Force with Damon. 

Indiana Jones 5, which will see Ford returning as the bullwhip-wielding adventurer, was originally announced three years ago and has gone through various delays since then.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, released in 2008, was the last film from the beloved franchise.