Harrison Ford: Indiana Jones 5 almost ready to start filming

Harrison Ford says 'Indiana Jones 5' is almost ready to start filming.

The 77-year-old actor - who is confirmed to be reprising his role as the titular archaeologist in the next instalment in the beloved big screen franchise - has admitted he's looking forward to donning the famous fedora once again in what will be the character's first outing sixth 2008's 'Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'.

He told 'Entertainment Tonight': "I'm excited to play the character again. I love making those films.

"They're great entertainment... We're very close to being able to begin to start [filming]."

The franchise was created by 'Star Wars' mastermind George Lucas and directed by Steven Spielberg, and Ford has insisted both men should be credited with his own longevity in Hollywood.

He added: "A whole lot of it's luck and a lot of it has to do with the talented people that I get the chance to work with.

"The success of George Lucas [and] Steven Spielberg rubbed off on me... I've been blessed."

Ford - who is also known for playing Han Solo in the 'Star Wars' saga - was recently confirmed for 'Indiana Jones 5', with Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy promising the upcoming movie wouldn't be a "reboot".

She said: "We're working away, getting the script where we want it to be and then we'll be ready to go.

"Harrison Ford will be involved, yeah. It's not a reboot; it's a continuation."

The movie was pushed back until 2021, so that more work could be done on the script.

The motion picture was originally due for release in July 2019, before it was later pushed back to July 2020 and Disney issued an amended schedule in July 2018, which listed 'Indiana Jones 5' as coming out on July 9, 2021.