Indiana Jones 5 blasted the D23 stage this weekend by unveiling its first images to the public. These have confirmed the return of a fan-favorite character!
“I miss the desert, I miss the sea, and I miss waking up every morning wondering what kind of adventure the new day will bring.” These words heard in the trailer for the 5th part of Indiana Jones, projected during the D23, caused shivers to the spectators.
Fans of the famous archaeologist will immediately recognize the voice of John Rhys-Davies, the legendary interpreter of Sallah in Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. The excitement then escalated when Indy’s best friend appeared on screen, sporting his signature Fez.
He is best remembered by the general public for his role as the dwarf Gimli in The Lord of the Rings. Others loved him in the costume of Professor Maximilian Arturo in the SF series Sliders. But if there is one character that made John Rhys-Davies famous, it’s Sallah in the Indiana Jones franchise.
This sympathetic Egyptian, jovial and cheeky, was an unwavering ally for Indy, saving him the day on several occasions. Much appreciated by fans, Sallah did not appear in The Temple of Doom or in The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, John Rhys-Davies having refused a cameo at the end of this 4th episode.
“I declined, because it felt like it would be a bit of a betrayal of audience expectations. Sallah is a popular character, there is a greatness of soul in him that we all love and admire”explained the actor in the columns of Digital Spy in 2016.
AN IMPORTANT ROLE FOR SALLAH
Therefore, if the 78-year-old actor has agreed to return to Indiana Jones 5, it’s because his role needs to be fleshed out… and that’s not to displease us, as the character is adored by aficionados of the adventurer in Fedora.
In January 2021, John Rhys-Davies was toying with fans’ nerves by suggesting he might appear in this sequel.
disney Sallah
“I understand that the film will be shot in May 2021, as they say. I remain quite skeptical that we can shoot a film of this magnitude in May. I guess however it is possible that I will be asked to play in it”he confided to the microphone of ComingSoon.
“If they call me, I’ll be at their service (laughs). But I think we have to wait a little bit longer, let our masters make their announcements, and then you can share my joy or my disappointment. is suitably diplomatic enough?”concluded the artist, not without a certain malice.
The actor has long pleaded for a return of his character, provided that this comeback has a real importance.
“Of course I would like to do another one, he’s a great character! But I would like him to do something meaningful. Perhaps the real tragedy of our time is that there is no place now in Western popular culture for a positive Arab character; this is my perception of the public, not a value judgment”he lamented in 2016 with our colleagues from DigitalSpy.
Very attached to the character, the Briton imagined a heroic destiny for him as a protector of artefacts and antiquities: “I like to think he would have been someone like Khaled al-Asaad, this wonderful 80-year-old man who defended his museum in Palmyra and hid his major treasures. He refused to hand them over to Daesh and was beheaded in public. I think that’s probably how I would have seen Sallah”he specified.
Did James Mangold grant John Rhys-Davies’ wish of making Sallah a protector of artifacts? Answer on June 28, 2023 at the cinema.