Steven Spielberg reviewed Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny after an early screening for Disney executives. These comments come after months of fan murmuring and anxiety about the changing of the guard.
Initially kicking off with 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, the Indiana Jones franchise follows the adventures of Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., a professor of archeology who finds himself at the center of thrilling and dangerous plots concerning artifacts of interest. It has long been a fan-favorite, growing into a media franchise that spans 4 films and every sort of adaptation and merchandise possible, including a Marvel Comic run and video games in several console generations. In 2020, it was announced that a fifth film was in the works, with franchise newcomer James Mangold attached to direct, replacing Spielberg after the latter dropped out.
The announcement was met with mixed reception. While some looked forward to what a new director could bring to the Indiana Jones franchise, others wondered how anyone else could fill the shoes of the franchise’s world-renowned director. Now, Spielberg has come forward with his verdict on Indiana Jones 5. Speaking at the Time 100 summit, Spielberg discussed his experience viewing the film two days prior. “Bob Iger had a screening for a lot of the Disney executives, and I came to the screening along with the director James Mangold,” the legendary director explained. “Everybody loved the movie. It’s really, really a good Indiana Jones film. I’m really proud of what Jim has done with it.”
Spielberg, currently working on a documentary film about longtime friend John Williams, also recounted turning to his fellow viewers after the screening to exclaim, “Damn! I thought I was the only one who knew how to make one of these.” The film is set to be the final adventure for Dr. Jones (at least the version portrayed by Hollywood legendary Harrison Ford). Indiana Jones 5 adds many new faces to the franchise's cast, including Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, Boyd Holbrook, Ethann Isidore, and Mads Mikkelsen.
There is a lot of pressure on Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny to deliver a happy ending and resolve plot points from prior films, such as confirming what happened to Shai LeBeouf’s Mutt Williams, as the character won’t appear in this final installment. With such a large gap in time between appearances, there will likely be a large move to rewatch the past entries in preparation for the upcoming curtain call. While dedicated fans have always been opinionated on facets of the franchise, there’s likely no chance they’ll miss their hero’s swan song.
In part due to the time that has passed since the last installment in the series, 2008’s Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, itself a bit of a contentious subject after a long time gap, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny has been bogged down by several fan concerns, from the change in director to Mangold debunking rumors that Indiana Jones was going to be replaced. How much of these early concerns have now been squashed by the positive report from early screenings will have to wait till the opening weekend to be evaluated.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is set to premiere on the 30th of June, 2023.
Source: TIME