Guy Ritchie’s Action Film With John Krasinski Compared to ‘Indiana Jones’

Guy Ritchie is an incredibly busy director these days, and he won’t be stopping anytime soon. For his next film, Fountain of Youth, he will be recruiting Jack Ryan star John Krasinski to lead a star-studded cast that will see them tackle an Indiana Jones-like adventure. The acclaimed director has now blown the lid on the film, describing what it was like shooting the globe-trotting Fountain of Youth, while also revealing exciting first-look images of the upcoming project.

During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Ritchie says Fountain of Youth is “in the vein of Indiana Jones but contemporary.” As the official images tease (see below), the movie follows two estranged siblings, Luke and Charlotte Purdue (Natalie Portman), who reunite to find the titular mythical place. This time around, Ritchie wanted to make sure he was not keeping himself in a box with his film genres, especially since projects like The Gentleman were so well-received.

“I found myself feeling like if I wasn’t too careful, I was ending up in a comedy-action-gangster genre, of which, of course, I’m comfortable and enjoy, but at some point, I thought, you have to spread your wings as a writer-director.”

In addition to Krasinski, the cast of Fountain of Youth includes Natalie Portman, Domhnall Gleeson, Carmen Ejogo, Laz Alonso, Stanley Tucci, and Eiza Gonzalez. Krasinski and Portman are the protagonists, with their sibling characters joining forces after being estranged in order to find the ultimate archeological prize. Ritchie teased that there is some history between the two to be unearthed beside the Fountain of Youth:

“They both come from a background of archeological endeavors in terms of finding archeological artifacts, so there’s a history there. They are estranged, but they find an alibi as to why they need to unify to find this particular treasure.”

‘Fountain of Youth’ Features a Star-Studded Cast

John Krasinski was recently named 2024’s Sexiest Man Alive by PEOPLE in the most divisive announcement since the U.S. election, but he will be looking to get his hands dirty in Fountain of Youth. In typical Guy Ritchie fashion, Fountain of Youth will continue to deliver his brand of hard-hitting action, this time involving different locations across the globe and unique set pieces. Natalie Portman teased that the upcoming film is unlike anything she has done before, and “fun” is the word used most to describe how it was filming the Fountain of Youth.

“I’d never been to Cairo or Vienna before and was blown away by both cities — some of the most special places I’ve ever been. We also had a crazy chase sequence we shot in Liverpool, which was some really wild car work, and an incredible sunken ship sequence we shot on stage in London. It was always an epic day with wild stunts and scenarios to tackle. Just the most fun you can have, really.”

Hopefully, audiences will be having just as much fun as the cast did while seeing the Fountain of Youth. No word if the characters will actually find the mythical location, but if it’s anything like an Indiana Jones film, then fans should get the answers they desire by the end of the movie’s runtime. After all, Ritchie himself has admitted that he makes movies for his own family to enjoy, saying that there is something in them for everyone.

“I’m out for a certain demographic, and that demographic is my family, if you know what I mean,” he says. “I can sit there with my five kids — I think I have five kids — of all ages, and there’s something in there for everyone. Directors really make movies for themselves or their families. That’s my experience anyway.”