Harrison Ford has delighted Indiana Jones fans with a surprise appearance to announce an incredible new chapter for the character he first brought to life more than four decades ago.
The 84-year-old actor appeared virtually during D23 in Anaheim on Saturday to reveal that, for the first time, his likeness will officially be used for an Indiana Jones Audio-Animatronics figure at Walt Disney World.
In a video shared by Disney Parks on Instagram, Harrison thanked fans for following the archaeologist’s adventures before delivering the unexpected news.
“I’m pleased to share that for the first time ever, I’m the actual model of the Indiana Jones animatronic,” he announced. “I’m excited to see his next adventure, and I’m coming to Walt Disney World soon.”
The announcement is particularly significant given Harrison’s decades-long association with the character. Despite appearing as Indiana Jones across five movies, his face has never previously appeared on a Disney attraction anywhere in the world.
“Thanks for coming along on all Indy’s adventures,” Harrison added in the clip.
Disney Parks teased the news alongside the Instagram video, writing: “We have unearthed Indiana Jones news.”
“For the first time, Harrison Ford is the actual model of the Indiana Jones Audio-Animatronics figure, fear of snakes included.”
Harrison’s digital likeness will appear in the forthcoming Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent, a major new attraction currently being created for the Tropical Americas land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida.
Disney Imagineers gave D23 attendees a first look at the digital model being used to create the extraordinarily lifelike figure, making it possible for visitors to come face-to-face with Harrison’s version of Indy long after his final movie outing.
The new attraction will take guests beneath the ruins of an ancient Maya temple as they join Dr. Jones on another perilous expedition.
© VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty ImagesAccording to Disney, the adventure begins near a cenote, an underground cave once filled with water, which local legend claims offers a passage into the Maya Underworld.
Naturally, there is one complication that Indiana Jones won’t appreciate. The Underworld is said to be guarded by a giant serpentine creature known as the Tsukán, with riders encountering everything from enormous bats and scorpions to fire and, inevitably, snakes during their escape.
© Getty ImagesDisney’s Imagineers have worked alongside archaeologists, anthropologists and Maya experts while developing the attraction, with research trips to Honduras and the ancient Maya city of Copán helping to inspire its architecture and artwork.
The exciting announcement comes just weeks after Harrison celebrated his 84th birthday in July, with the Hollywood veteran showing little sign of slowing down.
The Star Wars actor continues to work and remains impressively active away from the screen, having recently been photographed cycling solo around Los Angeles.
© Corbis via Getty ImagesHarrison has previously explained that staying physically strong has become increasingly important to him as he gets older, although his motivation is practical rather than aesthetic.
“I believe in training for injury prevention more than anything else,” he told Men’s Health earlier this year. “I’m an old fart and I need to protect myself.”
And while Harrison may have stepped away from playing Indiana Jones on the big screen following 2023’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, his latest announcement means fans haven’t quite seen the last of his fedora-wearing alter ego.
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