Indiana Jones' next Disney attraction will feature a robot Harrison Ford

Disney Imagineers unveiled the Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent attraction for Animal Kingdom at D23 this weekend. The most surprising thing about this ride is that it'll feature an Indiana Jones animatronic directly modeled after Harrison Ford for the first time.

If you've watched Blade Runner or its sequel, the fact that we're basically getting a real-life replicant Harrison Ford might be disconcerting. Disney framed this as a really special and exciting D23 announcement, as Ford has not lent his likeness to any Indiana Jones attractions in Disney parks before. Ford even recorded a short video confirming his involvement, which was first shown at the Horizons: A Carousel of Progress panel on Aug. 14.

The panel also revealed more about what to expect from this new Animal Kingdom attraction, including the name Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent. The ride will follow Indy as he explores the ruins of an ancient Maya temple protected by Tsukán, the titular Jade Serpent. Indy and the riders are eventually sucked into the underworld, and the climax of the attraction will be their thrilling escape. Disney says it worked with experts in Maya archaeology and anthropology to ensure it accurately represented the culture.

The wording of the announcement was very specific, stating only that Harrison Ford will be the model for the Indy animatronic. We still don't know whether he'll be voicing the character, but it'd be pretty surprising if Indy didn't speak at all during the ride. If Ford doesn't reprise the role beyond serving as the animatronic model, hopefully Disney remembers that Troy Baker did a great impression in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

We don't have a specific opening date for Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent yet. It's going to be part of the Tropical Americas expansion for Animal Kingdom, which will also feature an attraction inspired by Encanto and the El Carrusel de los Animalitos carousel featuring Disney and Pixar characters.