Harrison Ford will return to the role of archaeologist Indiana Jones, Disney has confirmed.

The actor, who first starred as the intrepid explorer in Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, will be 77 years old when the fifth instalment of the action-adventure series is released on July 19th, 2019.

Disney and Lucasfilm confirmed that director Steven Spielberg has also signed up for the sequel.

“Indiana Jones will return to the big screen . . . for a fifth epic adventure in the blockbuster series. Steven Spielberg, who directed all four previous films, will helm the as-yet-untitled project with star Harrison Ford reprising his iconic role,” a statement noted.

“Franchise veterans Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall will produce.”

Chairman of Walt Disney Studios Alan Horn added: “Indiana Jones is one of the greatest heroes in cinematic history and we can’t wait to bring him back to the screen in 2019.

“It’s rare to have such a perfect combination of director, producers, actor and role, and we couldn’t be more excited to embark on this adventure with Harrison and Steven.”

Franchise

The franchise also includes 1984’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, 1989’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which introduced Shia LaBeouf as Jones’s son Mutt Williams – or Henry Jones III.

The successful franchise has harvested almost two billion US dollars at the global box office, according to Disney.

Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, but its founder George Lucas – who helped story the first four films – was not mentioned in the company’s statement.

Ford was last seen on the big screen last Christmas as he reprised another famous role – that of Han Solo, in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.