Indiana Jones 'opening in Cannes'

Harrison Ford's sidekick in the film is Shia LaBeouf

New Indiana Jones movie The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, one of its stars John Hurt has said.

But the actor, who plays Abner Ravenwood in the picture, told BBC One's Jonathan Ross show he was sworn to secrecy about the film's details.

There has been speculation the film will debut at the French event days before a worldwide release on 22 May.

The Cannes programme is not officially released until later this month.

'Brilliant'

A spokesman for the festival was not immediately available for comment.

Hurt told the chat show host that Harrison Ford, who is returning to play the titular hero at the age of 65, is "brilliant".

"I have nothing but good things to say about him. He understands that whole franchise. He is that franchise," said the British star.

John Hurt heaped praise on Harrison Ford

The new film will also star Australian Oscar winner Cate Blanchett and Shia LaBeouf.

It took almost 18 years before Harrison, director Steven Spielberg and producer George Lucas returned with a fourth instalment in the popular film series.

A trailer to the new movie was released in February, and received a largely positive response.

Criticisms that Ford might have grown too old for the role have been largely dismissed by fans.

Hurt, meanwhile, said he was in talks to reprise his role as Quentin Crisp in a film about the later stages of his life in New York.

The actor won critical acclaim for his portrayal of Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant, a 1975 television play about the flamboyant gay man's struggle to be accepted in Britain during the 1930s and 40s.

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