I might have an intriguing scoop, I’m still trying to authenticate, for later this afternoon.
It doesn’t have anything to do with “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” which just had its final trailer released. This is set to be Harrison Ford’s final film as Indy and also the last movie scored by John Williams.
What I do know is that, all through these decades, Indiana has drunk from the cup of Christ, possessed by voodoo, been attacked by Nazis and has practically survived every other danger launched at him. He’ll be fine.
A few thoughts about this trailer.
Ford doesn’t look a day over 80. Toby Jones playing a Nazi because .. of course. It also seems as though they are going to use most of the common tropes for this sequel, it won’t reinvent the wheel whatsoever, just — hopefully — a good old yarn.
A back-to-the-basics adventure. Which is maybe what we needed after the last film. The trailer does harken back to the style of the first three Spielberg films. An homage to the B-movies from the 40s and 50s.
Oh, and the this trailer reveals that Phoebe Waller-Bridge is his goddaughter, a female “Indy,” which maybe sets her up for another film? It’s almost too predictable a scenario to deny.
The bad news for Disney is that “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” wasn’t directed by James Cameron. So, you can always, technically, bet against James Mangold because the $300 million budget for his Indy movie is surprisingly very high.
The good news is that the last one, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull,” grossed $800 million worldwide. But it also left a bitter taste in peoples mouths.
The actual official number is $294.7 million. Forbes is calling it “Disney’s $300 million bet,” as they should. What a risk this movie is turning out to be. In turn, ‘Dial of Destiny’ ranks as the 7th most expensive movie ever made. Add in marketing costs and it’s probably going to have to gross about half a billion dollars to make any sort of decent profit.
It started production in the UK back in June of 2021. It was supposed to be released in 2022, but got delayed to the summer of 2023.
Steven Spielberg will not be directing the fifth instalment. Instead, it’s Mangold (“Ford v Ferrari,” “Logan”) who will be taking over directing duties. He is a good studio filmmaker, but one wonders if the Indiana Jones series has any juice left in its reservoir.
Although not much is known about the plot, intel suggests that this fifth instalment of Indy will be a time travel movie. I’ve heard this rumour a few times already and it seems as though it is a legitimate one. This could bring an extra added layer of playfulness to the film.
Ford will be 81 by the time the film is released this summer, not to mention that the role is a physically demanding one — is it any wonder that there are doubts if this could actually be pulled off? Ford isn’t out-of-shape in the least bit, but, he is set to become the oldest action star at the movies.
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” premieres at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18th, and then opens worldwide in June.
Cory Finley, a talented filmmaker, has directed three films so far: "Thoroughbreds" (2017), "Bad Education” (2020), and "Landscape with Invisible Hand.”