Dial of Destiny is the only film in the series not directed bySteven Spielberg nor conceived byGeorge Lucas, though both served as executive producers. Plans for a fifthIndiana Jones film date back to the late 1970s, when a deal was made withParamount Pictures to produce four sequels toRaiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Lucas began researching potential plot devices for a fifth film in 2008, and Koepp was hired to write the screenplay in 2016. In 2018,Jonathan Kasdan replaced Koepp but later left the project. Originally set for release in 2019, the film faced delays due to rewrites and theCOVID-19 pandemic. Spielberg was initially set to direct but stepped down in 2020, with Mangold taking over. Filming began in June 2021 in various locations including theUnited Kingdom,Italy, andMorocco, wrapping in February 2022.
In 1969, Jones, who is retiring fromHunter College inNYC, has been separated from his wifeMarion Ravenwood since their sonMutt's death inVietnam. Jones' goddaughter, archaeologist Helena Shaw, unexpectedly visits and wants to research the Dial. Jones warns that her late father Basil became obsessed with studying it before relinquishing it to Jones to destroy, which he never did.
As Jones and Helena retrieve the Dial half from the college archives, Voller's accomplices attack them. TheCIA assists Voller, now working forNASA as "Dr. Schmidt". Helena, revealed as an antiquities smuggler, absconds with the Dial to auction it on theblack market. Jones is framed for two colleagues' murders, forcing him to escape through theApollo 11 moon landingparade, then ananti-war protest.
Jones seeks out his old friendSallah, now a New York cab driver, who helps him flee the country after surmising that Helena will likely sell the Dial inTangier. There, Jones disrupts Helena's illegal private auction, but Voller and his henchmen arrive and steal the artifact. Jones, Helena, and her teenage accomplice Teddy Kumar chase them through the streets in atuk-tuk. The CIA intercepts Voller after the U.S. government disavows him for going rogue, but he and his cohorts murder the agents and steal the CIA helicopter.
Jones, Helena and Teddy trail Voller toGreece and team up with Jones' old friend Renaldo, a professional diver. Guided by Basil's research, they dive to theAntikythera wreck and retrieve a "graphikos" tablet containing directions to the Dial's other half. Voller arrives and murders Renaldo and his crew, but Jones' group escapes and heads toSicily, pursued by Voller.
Inside theEar of Dionysius cavern, Jones and Helena find Archimedes' tomb, the Dial's second half, and a 20th-century wristwatch on Archimedes' skeletal arm. Voller appears and captures Jones, wounding him. Helena and Teddy escape and chase Voller. Voller reassembles the dial, intending to time-travel back to 1939 to help leadGermany tovictory inWorld War II by assassinatingAdolf Hitler and avoiding his mistakes. At an airfield, Voller activates the Dial and locates a time fissure in the sky. Jones is held captive on Voller's stolen plane while Helenastows away through its landing gear. Teddy follows in another plane.
While approaching the fissure, Jones realizes thatcontinental drift could have altered the timeline coordinates. Rather than 1939, the group arrives at theSiege of Syracuse in 214 BC. The warring armies shoot down Voller's plane, believing it to be adragon. Jones and Helena parachute out just before it crashes, killing all aboard, while Teddy lands safely. Archimedes finds Voller's body and wristwatch in the wreckage. He gives Jones the Dial but keeps the watch. Jones and Helena learn that Archimedes created the Dial to bring allies from the future through fissures that lead only to 214 BC to save Syracuse and lift the siege. As the fissure begins to collapse, Jones wants to remain behind, feeling he has nothing left to return to. Helena, fearing atime paradox and unwilling to give up on him, knocks Jones unconscious. Back in 1969, a recovering Jones awakens in his apartment and reunites with Helena, Teddy, Sallah and Marion, whom he reconciles with.
Anthony Ingruber as young Indiana Jones (1944). Ingruber had portrayed a younger version of Ford's character William Jones inThe Age of Adaline (2015), serving as the on-setbody double before Ford'sde-aged likeness and voice was inserted over Ingruber's usingCGI for brief parts of the 1944 scenes ofDial of Destiny. Ingruber also portrays a hotel guest attending Helena's auction.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Helena Shaw,[10] Jones' goddaughter.[8] The filmmakers described the character as "slippery, charming, the girl next door, a grifter," a "pioneer in ethical accounting" and similar to comedic characters with "machine-gun" dialogue akin to those ofBen Hecht's plays.[11] She is the daughter of Indy's old friend and colleague, Basil Shaw.[8] Holly Lawton portrays a young Helena.
Mads Mikkelsen asDr. Jürgen Voller,[12] asociopathic German scientist,astrophysicist and formerNazi duringWorld War II who has beenhired by NASA under the name "Dr. Schmidt" to run theApollo Moon landing program, while usingCIA assets for his own gain.[13] The character is based upon real life NaziWernher von Braun,[14] while his dressing style is inspired by that of previousIndiana Jones villainMajor Arnold Ernst Toht, whom Mikkelsen deemed iconic due toRonald Lacey's performance but made sure to avoid copying him, in addition to deny any connection between the two as "Toht was more of a henchman" while Voller is the "brain" behind a lot of things.[15] Mikkelsen felt that Voller is a man who would like to "correct" some mistakes of the past with the film'sMacGuffin to make the world "a much better place to live in," matching wits against Jones in a race to retrieve the artifact.[11]
Antonio Banderas asRenaldo,[16] an old friend of Jones who operates as an expertfrogman.[17] Banderas claimed that his character is a rogue who is "a good guy who dies for Indiana Jones". He enjoyed working with Ford, Mangold andSteven Spielberg, who co-producedThe Mask of Zorro (1998), one of his previous films.[18] Banderas also pointed out that his role as Renaldo veers more into acameo appearance.[17]
Toby Jones asBasil Shaw, anOxford professor of archaeology, ally of Jones from his days in World War II, and Helena's father, who was obsessed with the Dial.[19]
Boyd Holbrook asKlaber, Voller's nefarious and trigger-happy right-hand man in 1969.[20] Holbrook described Klaber as Voller's lapdog, "and a very crazy one at that".[11]
In 1979,George Lucas andSteven Spielberg made a deal withParamount Pictures for fiveIndiana Jones films.[25] In April 2008,Harrison Ford said he would return asIndiana Jones for a fifth film if it did not take another twenty years to develop, referring to the long development ofIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), which was released a month later.[26] That film introduced the characterMutt Williams, played byShia LaBeouf. Writer/producer Lucas suggested an idea to make Williams the lead character in a fifth film with Ford's Jones in a supporting capacity akin to that ofSean Connery'sHenry Jones Sr.,[27] but later decided against this.[28] Lucas said that Ford's age would not be an issue in making another film, saying, "it's not like he's an old man. He's incredibly agile; he looks even better than he did 20 years ago".[27]
Lucas began researching potential plot devices for another film in 2008, and stated that Spielberg was open to directing it, as he had done for the previous films.[29][30] Explaining the process for each film, Ford said, "We come to some basic agreement and then George goes away for a long time and works on it. Then Steven and I get it in some form, some embryonic form. Then if we like it we start working with George on it and at some point down the line it's ready and we do it".[31] Lucas stressed the importance of having aMacGuffin that is supernatural but still grounded in reality with an archaeological or historical background, saying, "you can't just make something up, like atime machine".[32] Speaking about the previous film and the franchise's future, Lucas said, "we still have the issues about the direction we'd like to take. I'm in the future; Steven's in the past. He's trying to drag it back to the way they were, I'm trying to push it to a whole different place. So, still we have a sort of tension".[33] Later in 2008, Ford stated that Lucas's concept for the fifth film was "crazy but great".[34] In November 2010, Ford said that Lucas was still working on the project.[35] In July 2012, producerFrank Marshall stated that the project had no writer and said about its progress, "I don't know if it's definitely not happening, but it's not up and running".[36]
In October 2012,The Walt Disney Company acquiredLucasfilm, giving Disney ownership rights to theIndiana Jones intellectual property.[37][38] In December 2013,The Walt Disney Studios purchased the distribution and marketing rights to futureIndiana Jones films from Paramount, with Paramount retaining the distribution rights to the first four films and receiving "financial participation" for any additional films as well as an "in association with" credit in the film'sbilling.[1][2] The fifth film would become the first in the series to be co-produced byWalt Disney Pictures and Lucasfilm.[39] With the 2012 acquisition, Lucas passedIndiana Jones 5 to new Lucasfilm presidentKathleen Kennedy.[40][41] Lucasfilm planned to focus on theStar Wars franchise before working on a fifthIndiana Jones film.[42][43][44]
In May 2015, Kennedy confirmed that Lucasfilm would eventually make anotherIndiana Jones film.[45]Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ended positively for Indiana Jones, with his marriage toMarion Ravenwood. However, Ford did not necessarily view the film as a definitive ending for Jones, wishing to make one more film that could expand the character and conclude his journey.[46] Ford felt thatCrystal Skull "ended in kind of a suspended animation. There was not a real strong feeling of the conclusion or the closure that I always hoped for".[47] According to Kennedy, "we all felt that if we could conclude the series with one more movie, given the fact that Harrison was so excited to try to do another one, we should do it".[48] Kennedy, Spielberg and Ford had discussed a couple of story ideas by the end of 2015.[49]
In March 2016, Disney announced that the fifth film would be released on July 19, 2019, with Ford reprising his role. Spielberg would direct the film, with Kennedy and Marshall as producers.[50] In April 2016, Marshall said the film was in earlypre-production.[51] AMacGuffin had been chosen for the film,[52] and work on the script began a few months later,[53][54] withDavid Koepp as the screenwriter.[55] The story was conceived by Koepp and Spielberg. Koepp had previously written several other Spielberg films, includingKingdom of the Crystal Skull.[56] It was initially reported that Lucas would not be involved in the project,[50] although Spielberg later said that Lucas would serve as an executive producer: "Of course I would never make anIndiana Jones film without George Lucas. That would be insane".[57] Later in 2016, it was announced that Lucas would have no involvement,[58] with Marshall stating two years later that "life changes and we're moving on. He moved on".[59]
In 2017, the film's release date was pushed back to 2020, as Spielberg was busy working onReady Player One (2018) andThe Post (2017).[60] Koepp said "we've got a script we're mostly happy with".[61] Spielberg setIndiana Jones 5 as his next film, with production set to begin in the UK in April 2019.[62] However, filming was pushed back as a final script had yet to be approved.[63] In early 2018, Lucasfilm met with screenwritersScott Beck andBryan Woods for an "open canvas talk" including theIndiana Jones andStar Wars franchises in the wake of their success withJohn Krasinski's filmA Quiet Place (2018). Beck stated that they had considered writing the nextIndiana Jones installment, but that ultimately he and Woods were more interested in establishing an original franchise.[64] Marshall said that a lot of people hadpitched ideas for the film.[59]Jonathan Kasdan was eventually hired to replace Koepp in mid-2018,[63][65] and a new release date was set for 2021.[66]
Kasdan had departed the project by May 2019, and it was rumored that writerDan Fogelman would take over.[67] In September 2019, Koepp announced that he had re-joined the production as writer, stating that the filmmakers had "a good idea this time".[68] Koepp ultimately wrote two versions of the film, but neither were approved.[69][70] He said that efforts to produce the film had failed because of disagreement between Spielberg, Ford, and Disney regarding the script.[71]
James Mangold, seen in 2017, directed and co-wrote the film.
In February 2020, Spielberg stepped down as director, as he wanted to pass the film series to a new filmmaker for a fresh perspective.[72] Kennedy later said that Spielberg "was kind of off and on" about directing the project,[48] although he did remain as a hands-on producer.[72]James Mangold was confirmed as director in May 2020, when he began work on a new script.[73][74] He had previously offered Ford a role in his filmFord v Ferrari (2019) and the two also worked together onThe Call of the Wild (2020), which Mangold produced. As a result of this relationship, Ford suggested that Spielberg and Kennedy hire Mangold as director.[11][75] He is the first person besides Spielberg to direct a film in the series.[76]
Koepp departed the project again after Spielberg stepped down,[71] saying it "seemed like the right time to let Jim have his own take on it and have his own person or himself write it".[77] Mangold had considered turning down the director position, as Lucasfilm wanted filming to begin in about six months to meet the 2021 release date. However, Mangold wanted more time so he could refine the script. He eventually signed on to the project after theCOVID-19 pandemic pushed back the release date, giving him the time he wanted.[78] The pandemic had also shut down pre-production onA Complete Unknown (2024), Mangold's film about singerBob Dylan.[79]
Mangold wrote the new screenplay withJez andJohn-Henry Butterworth, who worked with him previously onFord v Ferrari,[80] over the course of six to eight months.[79] Mangold said, "I wanted to really retool the existing script pretty aggressively, almost entirely".[81] Koepp received credit alongside Mangold and the Butterworths for his earlier work.[82] Among the previous films in the series, Mangold cited the first entry,Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), as his biggest inspiration while makingDial of Destiny.[78][83] He consideredRaiders his favorite film in the series, and said "you go to the original because that's where the standard was set".[84]
Mangold conceived the film's time-travel element and its use of the Antikythera mechanism as the MacGuffin.[22][85] To suit the story, artistic liberty was taken with the film's dial, giving it the ability to detect time fissures.[22] Mangold considered time travel on par with the previous films: "It's no more of a wild swing in my mind than ghouls flying out of a box and melting people's heads through the sheer power of dark angels, or a 700-year-old knight existing in a cave for perpetuity. These are all beyond the scope of all physical belief".[86] According to Mangold, the earlier draft by Koepp featured a MacGuffin that was "just another relic with power, similar to the relics we had seen", with no emotional connection to Jones.[75] Multiple versions of the film's dial would be created by the prop department for different scenes.[87] Although Greek inventorArchimedes is presented in the film as the Antikythera's creator, it is unclear whether that is true in reality.[22][88][89]
Earlier films had featured Nazis as the antagonists, and Mangold and the Butterworths were inspired byOperation Paperclip as a way of reincorporating them forDial of Destiny.[90] Mangold considered Nazi Germany for the film's time-traveling final act, with Jones attempting to stop Voller's plan. However, as this idea was developed further, Mangold considered it too predictable. He also found that it lacked emotional resonance for Jones and played out like aspy film, prompting him to choose theSiege of Syracuse instead.[86][91] The Butterworths suggested the idea to end the film with Jones and Marion discussing their emotional pain, a callback to a similar conversation inRaiders.[86] Apost-credits scene featuringShort Round fromIndiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) was considered according tostoryboard artist Gabriel Hardman, but the idea was discarded early on soKe Huy Quan wasn't contacted to reprise the role,[92] with Mangold opting to not bring Shorty back due to wishing to assemble a story in the film's present that made sense and not wanting to include another adult companion for Indy, with Helena Shaw only being there to challenge him as the adventure's sole female character.[93]
Mangold consulted with Lucas and Spielberg,[94] who served as executive producers.[12] As the script was being written, Mangold would send pages to the duo for input.[85] Recalling advice that Spielberg offered, Mangold said, "It's a movie that's atrailer from beginning to end — always be moving".[48]
Despite Ford's age, Marshall and Spielberg ruled out the possibility of recasting his character.[95][96][97] Ford said, "I'm Indiana Jones. When I'm gone, he's gone".[98] Spielberg also said Jones would not bekilled off during the events of the film.[99] Likewise, Mangold and the Butterworths never considered killing off the character, despite fan assumptions Mangold would "kill another icon" after doing so withJames "Logan" Howlett / Wolverine in theX-Men (2000-2020) filmLogan (2017).[100] Ford was paid $10–12 million for his involvement.[101]
In April 2021,Phoebe Waller-Bridge,Mads Mikkelsen andThomas Kretschmann were cast in undisclosed roles.[102][103][104]Boyd Holbrook andShaunette Renée Wilson were added the next month.[105] Holbrook previously co-starred in Mangold'sLogan,[106] in which he portrayedDonald Pierce, also a second-in-command villain; this made him initially hesitant to accept the similar role of Klaber.[107] Wilson was cast without auditioning, after aZoom meeting with Mangold, who agreed to change the "problematic" way in which Mason originally exited the film due to some dialogue that made Wilson uncomfortable.[108] She felt that her character's government connections fit into the story in a similar way to how theFederal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the CIA recruitedblack agents to infiltrate theBlack Panther Party in the 1960s.[11][19][48] In July 2021,Antonio Banderas was cast in the film[109] portraying an ally to Indiana Jones.[18] Ethann Isidore was cast as Teddy Kumar, marking his film debut.[22][110]
Waller-Bridge described her character as "a mystery and a wonder", and Mangold referred the actress toBarbara Stanwyck's performance as Jean Harrington inThe Lady Eve (1941) as a key reference point.[111][79] Mangold and the Butterworths wrote the role specifically for Waller-Bridge, inspired byKaren Allen's performance as Marion Ravenwood inRaiders of the Lost Ark.[75] Waller-Bridge performed many of her own stunts.[112]
Mikkelsen said the script was "everything I wished it to be".[113] His character was partly inspired by the Nazi scientists involved withNASA,[114] includingWernher von Braun.[20] Like most villainous characters he has played throughout his career, Mikkelsen described Voller as a "misunderstood person".[115] He also described his character as restrained: "We tried to avoid thecliché of the German or the Nazi with the extreme accent and the extreme madness. We wanted him to be a man who kind of blended in once he moved to America because he's predominantly a scientist".[22]
John Rhys-Davies reprised his role ofSallah for the first time sinceIndiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989).[116][117][118] Allen also expressed interest in reprising her role as Marion, noting in 2011 that she and Jones were married in the previous film "so it would be difficult, I think, to move forward without her".[119] Allen's return was kept a secret in the years leading up to the film's premiere; she said "whenever anyone asked me if I was in the film or not, I had to come up with something to say, like, 'I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.'" Her scene was shot in a day and a half,[120] with the use of a grey wig.[121] Allen was happy to reprise the character, although she wished she could have had a larger role as part of the film's adventure.[122] Spielberg's version of the film would have featured Marion in more scenes with Jones.[120][121] Mangold's initial script upon his hiring didn't include Marion at all, but upon being informed of the decision, Allen penned a letter to Mangold, Spielberg and Kennedy about why her character's absence would be a "terrible mistake", receiving the following day a reply from Kennedy, who agreed that she was right and resulted in the addition of the film's final scene of Marion and Indy's reconciliation.[123]Jim Broadbent expressed a willingness to reprise his role as Charles Stanforth fromKingdom of the Crystal Skull, but ultimately did not return.[124]
Following the release ofCrystal Skull, LaBeouf criticized the film and Spielberg, although Mangold said this did not factor into Mutt's absence inDial of Destiny,[86] saying "there's only so many people you can edge into a picture".[125] He further said about Mutt, "I didn't think his whole thing worked that well in the previous film".[86] As in the earlier films, Mangold wanted to instead capture "that wonderful energy between Indy and an intrepid female character".[125] Mangold kept his options open about Mutt still being alive and simply off-screen, although he said "The reality is you want the story to focus on the characters that are in the picture. And so saying someone's out wandering off in the periphery seems sadder purgatory than actually making them a story point in the film and using their character's existence as a tremendous source of drama for some of our lead characters".[126] Mutt was also absent from Koepp's original draft.[61]
Pinewood Studios in England housed a number of sets for the film.
AlthoughCrystal Skull was largely shot in the U.S., Marshall said that the fifth film would return to a global range of filming locations like the earlier films.[59] Mangold was opposed to using theStageCraft virtual production technology developed byIndustrial Light & Magic (ILM) for Lucasfilm'sThe Mandalorian (2019–present), wanting to rely mainly on practical effects.[127] Because of pandemic quarantines, a remotelocation scouting system was used in some instances, in which scouters were sent to prospective areas with a camera to broadcast the sites to Mangold and production designerAdam Stockhausen.[128][129]
A motorcycle chase was shot in the Scottish village ofGlencoe,[141] and other Scottish locations includedBiggar, South Lanarkshire.[142] Later in June, location shooting moved to London, where a street inHackney was lined with vintage cars. Filming also took place inside a private residence that was reportedly chosen for its period-style interior. Ford preferred to do his own stunts.[143] On June 23, it was announced that he had injured his shoulder during the rehearsal of a fight scene and that the production crew would shoot around his recovery.[144] Ford's injury occurred while rehearsing a punch against Mikkelsen's character for the train sequence.[145]
Recreation of the parade for filming in Glasgow, July 15, 2021
In July 2021,[146] shooting moved toGlasgow's city centre, which was transformed to resemble New York City in 1969.[147][148] Meticulous detail went into efforts to recreate the location and time period.[149][150] A chase sequence, shot alongSt. Vincent Street and other areas, re-creates aticker tape parade celebrating the return of theApollo 11 astronauts.[148][151][152] A stunt double, Mike Massa, performed in place of Ford throughout the Glasgow shoot,[153][154] withmotion capture markers applied to his face.[155] Holbrook and Waller-Bridge were on set as well.[156] The sequence also featured 1,000background actors as parade-goers andVietnam War protestors.[22] Filming in Glasgow lasted two weeks.[157][158] Ford resumed filming in September 2021,[159] and some shooting took place in theHatton Garden area of London, which also doubled as New York City.[135][140] In addition, a replica of a New York City Subway station was built at Pinewood's007 Stage.[22][150] By September 16, over 50 crew members from Pinewood Studios productions, mainly fromDial of Destiny and theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) filmAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), contractednorovirus following an outbreak at the studio. The main cast was not affected.[160]
In October 2021, production moved to Sicily, Italy,[161][162][163] after the ending between Ford and Allen was shot.[164] The Italian shoot included nearly 600 crew members,[165] and took place throughout Sicily, which stood in for itself and Greece.[22] Filming began in the city of Syracuse.[165][166] Other shooting locations included the city ofCefalù, often standing in for Syracuse,[140][165][167] and theProvince of Trapani.[168] Filming in Trapani included the towns ofMarsala[169] andCastellammare del Golfo,[170] the latter serving as the harbor where Renaldo meets with Jones.[163][171] Mangold wanted to include an underwater treasure-hunting sequence, a first for the film series.[172] The diving scenes were photographed by cinematographerIan Seabrook, and filmed on-location in theMediterranean Sea and in a tank at Pinewood, the latter done with stunt performers.[173]
The sequence involving Archimedes' tomb was filmed at Pinewood.[140] The scenes leading up to the tomb sequence were shot at theTemple of Segesta in Trapani,[140][174] as well as the Neapolis archaeological park in Syracuse.[169] Filming at the latter location included the Ear of Dionysius cave,[175][176][177] and the Grotta Dei Cordari cave.[169] Scenes depicting the Roman siege were shot in Sicily as well,[178][179][180] includingCastello Maniace in Syracuse.[163][171][181]
Filming began inMorocco on October 17, 2021,[182][183] taking place in the cities ofFez andOujda.[140] The Morocco segment was originally set to film in India – specifically the cities ofJaisalmer andJaipur[129] in the state ofRajasthan – until theCOVID-19 levels there increased.[184][129][185]Kathmandu in Nepal was then considered, until an outbreak occurred there as well.[129] The Moroccan shoot consisted of exterior filming,[22] while the interiors of the Hotel L'Atlantique were recreated at Pinewood.[22][140] The Tangier chase sequence required the use of a dozentuk-tuks,[22][186] and was shot in Fez primarily by asecond unit crew, while the actors filmed their portions of the sequence later on at Pinewood,[184][129] with the use of ablue screen.[187] On November 4, a camera operator named Nic Cupac was found dead in his Morocco hotel room; Disney stated that his death was not production-related.[188]
After Morocco, the remainder of filming took place at Pinewood,[132][184] eventually wrapping on February 26, 2022.[189][190]Post-production began nine days later, although somefilm editing had already taken place while shooting.[191]Michael McCusker,Andrew Buckland and Dirk Westervelt served as the film editors, replacingMichael Kahn, who had edited the previous four films.[192]Phedon Papamichael served as cinematographer, marking his sixth film with Mangold.[193] Papamichael sought advice from Spielberg's longtime cinematographerJanusz Kamiński, who worked onCrystal Skull.[194] Spielberg offered his advice on the script, watcheddailies,[79][195] and later visited the editing room a number of times.[84] He praised the finished film.[196]
As with the previous films,visual effects were handled byIndustrial Light & Magic (ILM), a division of Lucasfilm.Dial of Destiny has a total of 2,350 effects shots, including many that occur during the Syracuse siege sequence.[173] The time fissure, depicted as a stormy cloud portal, was made entirely throughcomputer-generated imagery (CGI) and was among the final effects created for the film. The fissure design was based on research conducted into real cloud formations, as Mangold wanted it to look natural.[197]
In addition to ILM, several other visual effects companies also worked on the film and spent more than a year in post-production. After ILM,Rising Sun Pictures was the second-largest contributor of visual effects; it handled 301 shots, most of them during the parade sequence. Important Looking Pirates worked on 250 shots, mostly for the underwater sequence.[198] Soho VFX contributed 235 shots, most of them for the tuk-tuk chase sequence. The Hotel L'Atlantique exterior was also created by Soho through CGI.[187]
Spielberg used motion capture for his animated filmThe Adventures of Tintin (2011), although he rejected the idea of using this method todigitally de-age Ford, saying in 2012 that he wanted the actor's age to be acknowledged in the film.[199] By mid-2019, Spielberg and Koepp had devised a five-minuteWorld War II opening sequence that would feature a de-aged Ford. Upon taking over the project, Mangold expanded the sequence to roughly 25 minutes.[75]
More than 100 ILM artists worked on the opening sequence over a three-year period, using various methods.[200] Ford was de-aged to depict his appearance during the first threeIndiana Jones films. This was partly achieved using newartificial intelligence software from ILM, which looked through archived footage of a younger Ford in his previous work for Lucasfilm,[201][202][203] includingthe originalStar Wars films (1977–1983).[173] Ford's head was also scanned to create a younger version using CGI.[200] Lighting techniques were emphasized on-set and included the use of Flux, a light-based capture system previously used for de-aging scenes inThe Irishman (2019).[203] In addition to effects, a mask of Ford's younger face was also made for use by a stuntman during a motorcycle chase.[204]
After filming, the de-aging footage was modified shot-by-shot using a variety of techniques.[203][197] ILM artists had particular difficulty getting Ford's eyes to look right. According to visual effects supervisor Robert Weaver, "Many times, we weren't quite getting the right balance of the eye-opening and the shape of the overall eyes, and were continually having to reference both older footage and what was shot in camera".[205] Ford was somewhat "spooked" by the de-aging process, but was nonetheless impressed.[201][206] Mikkelsen was also de-aged for the opening sequence.[197][207]
In June 2016, Spielberg confirmed thatJohn Williams, who scored the previous films in theIndiana Jones franchise, would return to compose the music for the fifth film.[208] In 2022, Williams stated that it would be his final film score, following plans for a retirement,[209] though he later backtracked on this decision.[210] Williams premiered one of his compositions, "Helena's Theme", at theHollywood Bowl on September 2, 2022, at Mangold's request.[111]Walt Disney Records released the soundtrack album digitally on June 29, 2023, and physically through CD andvinyl LP formats on August 9, 2023.[211][212]
The film reportedly cost around $419million to produce, although a reimbursement of $66.7million (£50.3million) from the United Kingdom brought down the net budget to a total of $352.3million.[4] Initial reports listed a gross budget of $294.7 million, with $55.8million (£46.2million) tax credit bringing its net costs down to $238.9 million.[214][215] Other figures, including "$300million+,"[216] and "$387.2million"[217] had also been reported.Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is the most expensive film in theIndiana Jones franchise, as well asone of the most expensive films ever made.[135][218]
Ford and Mangold both felt thatCrystal Skull did not do enough to highlight Jones' age and the new era in which he lives.[47][75] Speaking aboutDial of Destiny as a finale to the franchise, Mangold said, "It became really important to me to figure out how to make this a movie about a hero at sunset". He said that Jones' age would be a major part of the film, something that was touched upon only briefly in the earlier drafts: "The issues I brought up about Indy's age were not things I thought were being addressed in the material being developed at the time. There were 'old' jokes, but the material itself wasn't about it. To me, whatever your greatest liability, you should fly straight towards that. If you try to pretend it's not there, you end up getting slings and arrows the whole way".[46] According to Mangold and Ford,Dial of Destiny is about age, time and family relationships.[219][84] Mangold said the film "is not about aging per se, but time — the way time travels for all of us, the way we all get older as the world changes around us".[84]
Mangold said of thefilm's cinematic style that the opening sequence, set in 1944, is meant to contrast with the main plot, which takes place in 1969, allowing the film to start with a blast of classicIndiana Jones action reminiscent of the first three films (1981–1989). The transition from thepulpycinematic language of 1940s films brings the characters from an "older world" into the "modern" 1960s, a present strongly influenced by theCold War, nuclear power, space travel, intrigue and the lack ofblack-and-white morality. Mangold sought to portray "an accurate and realistic appraisal of where this character would be at this time in his life", describing Jones as "a hero who is used to a black and white world" when it comes to villains, who now finds himself in a gray world with a lack of "clear good guys and bad guys".[8] Jez Butterworth noted the presence of ex-Nazis involved in the U.S. government's Moon-landing program.[20] This makes Jones grow distrustful of his country, feeling like a man out of time in an era in whichidealism is gone.[20][8] It was Ford's idea to start the 1969 storyline with Jones at a low point in his life, and then gradually "rebuild him from the ground up" as the film progresses.[220]
Mangold comparedDial of Destiny to his finalX-Men filmLogan, enjoying the notion of what a hero can do for the world when it no longer has a place for him, allowing classical heroes to be seen through the "prism" of today's "jaundiced contemporary attitudes". However,Dial of Destiny would lack the seriousness ofLogan, with the latter being regarded as a "purposefully and intentionally" grim adventure.[8]
DuringStar Wars Celebration in May 2022, Ford debuted the first official image from the film, showing Jones silhouetted in a cave.[221][222] Exclusive footage was shown to attendees at theD23 Expo in September 2022.[223] The footage included shots of a de-aged Ford and multiple action sequences, and confirmed the return of Rhys-Davies.[118] The film's title,Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, was revealed on December 1, 2022, alongside the first trailer for the film.[12]The Escapist's John Friscia found the trailer's nod toRaiders of the Lost Ark amusing but hoped that the film wouldn't rely onnostalgia.[224] A TV spot for the film aired duringSuper Bowl LVII on February 12, 2023.[225] A new trailer and poster debuted at the 2023Star Wars Celebration on April 7, 2023.[226][227][228]
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was released on digital formats on August 29, 2023.[240] The film achieved first place on VOD charts, topping iTunes, Google Play, and Vudu.[241]Dial of Destiny was released on Disney+ on December 1, 2023, and was released onDVD,Blu-ray, and4K byWalt Disney Studios Home Entertainment four days later.[242]Dial of Destiny was also the final home video releases of the film to be distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment before Disney made a licensing home video deal withSony Pictures Home Entertainment on February 20, 2024 in North America.[243]
The film debuted at No. 1 oniTunes,Google Play, andVudu following its PVOD release. It was the only newly released title to appear on all three charts.[244][245] It also debuted at No. 1 on the U.K. home entertainment sales chart, selling 78,000 digital units for the week ending September 6, 2023.[246] The film remained No. 1 on the U.K. home entertainment sales chart for a second consecutive week through September 13, 2023, maintaining its lead over Universal Studios'Fast X (No. 2).[247]Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny debuted at No. 1 on both theCircana VideoScan First Alert chart and theBlu-ray Disc sales chart for the week ending December 9, 2023. HD formats accounted for 57% of its first-week sales, with 35% from Blu-ray and 22% from 4K Ultra HD.[248]
Analytics companySamba TV, which gathers viewership data from certainsmart TVs and content providers, reported thatIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny attracted 474,000 viewers within its first six days on video-on-demand. This performance closely followedGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (482,000 viewers) and surpassedSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (321,000 viewers) in the same timeframe.[249][250]Nielsen Media Research, which records streaming viewership on certain U.S. television screens, calculated that the film was watched for 498 million minutes from December 4—10, 2023.[251][252]
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny grossed $174.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $209.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $384 million.[253][254] The film had a production budget of $294.7 million, but received $55.8 million (£46.2 million) tax credit bringing its net costs down to $238.9 million.[255]Forbes noted that it would need to worldwide theatrical gross of $477.8 million for Disney to break even theatrically.Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is the most expensive film in theIndiana Jones franchise, as well asone of the most expensive films ever made.[135][256]Collider estimated the film would need to make around $600million tobreak-even at the box office[257]
In the United States and Canada,Dial of Destiny was released alongsideRuby Gillman, Teenage Kraken, and was projected to gross domestically $60–65 million from 4,600 theaters in its opening weekend. It was also expected to gross around $80 million from international territories, for a worldwide debut of around $140 million.[258]TheWrap claimed that Americans under the age of 30 had a "much lower presence in ticket presales compared to the average summer tentpole" and that the film's tracking was also underperforming in Asian markets.[259] The film made $24 million on its first day,[260] including $7.2 million from Thursday night previews.[261] It went on to debut to $60.4 million over the three-day weekend,[262] the second-highest total of the franchise (not adjusted for inflation), behind its predecessorIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), and a total of $83.9 million over the five-dayIndependence Day holiday,[263] finishing first at the box office;[264][265]Deadline Hollywood noted that a majority of the opening weekend audience (58%) was over the age of 35.[216] The film made $26.5 million in its second weekend, finishing in second behind newcomerInsidious: The Red Door; the 56.1% drop was the largest of the franchise.[266] The film made $12million in its third weekend and $6.7million in its fourth, finishing in fourth and fifth place, respectively.[267][268]
Overseas, the film made $69.6 million from 52 countries in its opening weekend. The largest markets were the United Kingdom ($8.9 million), France ($5.9 million), Japan ($4.7 million), Korea ($4.1 million), Germany ($4.1 million), Spain ($4 million), Australia ($3.8 million), Italy ($2.7 million), China ($2.3 million), and Mexico ($2.3 million).[269]
Harrison Ford was praised for his final portrayal as Indiana Jones by critics.
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 71% of 438 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "It isn't as thrilling as earlier adventures, but the nostalgic rush of seeing Harrison Ford back in action helpsIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny find a few final bits of cinematic treasure."[272]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 58 out of 100, based on 65 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[273] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, whilePostTrak reported a 79% positive score from filmgoers, with 59% saying they would definitely recommend the film.[216]
John Nugent ofEmpire gave the film four out of five stars, complimenting Ford's performance, and noted Mangold's camerawork "moves confidently through action set-piece after action set-piece, keeping up a frantic pace".[274]Bilge Ebiri, reviewing forVulture, called the film "fun" but acknowledged comparisons to the previous installments were "warranted. But it's also too entertaining to dismiss. You may not lose yourself in this one the way so many of us once did with the earlierIndiana Jones movies, but you'll certainly have a good time."[275]The Guardian'sPeter Bradshaw feltDial of Destiny "has quite a bit of zip and fun and narrative ingenuity with all its MacGuffiny silliness that the last one really didn't".[276]
Germain Lussier, reviewing the film forio9, praised the film for having "a great premise, exciting action, wonderful banter, and some fantastic twists and turns".[277] InUproxx, Mike Ryan wrote: "This is a very fun movie but Indy'sarc is poignant and also sad. It's kept in the background, but it's there." He found the ending more satisfying than the ending ofThe Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.[278]
Owen Gleiberman ofVariety described the film as a "dutifully eager but ultimately rather joyless piece of nostalgic hokum minus the thrill... Though it has its quota of 'relentless' action, it rarely tries to match (let alone top) the ingeniously staged kinetic bravura ofRaiders of the Lost Ark... time travel, inIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, is really an unconscious metaphor, since it's the movie that wants to go back in time, completing our love affair with the defining action-movie-star role of Harrison Ford. In the abstract, at least, it accomplishes that, right down to the emotional diagram of a touching finale, but only by reminding you that even if you re-stage the actionethos of the past, recapturing the thrill is much harder."[24] David Rooney forThe Hollywood Reporter criticized the film, writing "it's a big, bombastic movie that goes through the motions but never finds much joy in the process, despite John Williams's hard-working score continuously pushing our nostalgia buttons and trying to convince us we're on a wild ride."[279]
The Telegraph'sRobbie Collin praised Ford's performance, but felt the film's action sequences were "loaded with mayhem but painfully short on spark and bravado: there's no shot here, nor twist of choreography, that makes you marvel at the filmmaking mind that conceived it".[280]Richard Lawson ofVanity Fair wrote: "Dial of Destiny certainly tries hard to do right by its pedigree. The basic component parts are there: an object quest rooted in history, a tingle of the supernatural, easily rooted-against fascist villains. But something in the calculations is off ...In [the film], one can feel the four credited screenwriters grasping at inspiration and coming up short. What they did manage to make would be perfectly fine as a standalone adventure film starring some other character, but it's not worthy of the whip."[281]
Shortly after the film's release in June 2023, Allen admitted herself she would have wished to appear more as Ravenwood in the film, but was grateful nonetheless that Mangold and the Butterworths still included her character in the film and asked her to be back.[122] In October 2024, Rhys-Davies expressed his feelings that, despite liking the film as a finale to the franchise, he felt it didn't flesh out its full potential by taking the franchise to full circle, opining that Banderas' talent was wasted on Renaldo and that it should have been his character Sallah andGeorge Harris'Simon Katanga fromRaiders the ones who fulfilled Renaldo's role.[282]
In December 2024, while promotingA Complete Unknown (2024), Mangold expressed disappointment toDeadline Hollywood at the poor reception to the film, saying, "You have a wonderful, brilliant actor who's in his eighties. So I'm making a movie about this guy in his eighties, but his audience on one other level doesn't want to confront their hero at that age. And I am like, I'm good with it. We made the movie. But the question is, how would anything have made the audience happy with that, other than having to start over again with a new guy? And then here come lifelong heroes from my childhood into my life going, 'We have something for you to work on'. It was a "joyous experience, but it hurt ... in the sense that I really love Harrison and I wanted audiences to love him as he was and to accept that that's part of what the movie has to say—that things come to an end, that's part of life".[283]
While promoting theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) filmCaptain America: Brave New World (2025) in February 2025, Ford toldThe Wall Street Journal that the film's financial disappointment was because "shit happens" and claimed responsibility for its realization, arguing that he was the one who felt that there was still another story to tell with the title character suffering the consequences of the life he chose to have, hence his desire to play him again one last time and expressing his happiness for making the film.[284]
Thetrailer forIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was nominated in three categories at the 2023Golden Trailer Awards: Best Summer 2023 Blockbuster Trailer, and Best Teaser; and "Hero" (Wild Card) for Best Fantasy Adventure TV Spot (for a Feature Film) and Best Music TV Spot (for a Feature Film). It won Best Fantasy Adventure for "New Day" (Wild Card) and Best Fantasy Adventure TV Spot (for a Feature Film) for "Hero" (Wild Card).[285][286]
Disney CEOBob Iger said in 2016 that the future of the franchise with Ford was unknown, but that the fifth film would not be the final installment in the franchise.[298] In 2022, Kennedy reaffirmed earlier comments that Ford's role as Indiana Jones would not be recast,[299] while Ford confirmed that the fifth film would be his last in the series.[223] That November, Disney considered multiple options to continue the franchise, including additional films or a television series forDisney+. By March 2023, Lucasfilm was reported to have canceledIndiana Jones movies and television series because they wanted to focus on theStar Wars franchise;[300] it would have been the second prequel series followingThe Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.[301] Disney confirmed the following month that the film would indeed be the last in the franchise.[302]
^As part of the 2013 deal transferring the distribution rights of futureIndiana Jones films fromParamount Pictures toWalt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Paramount retained the distribution rights to the first four films, and a residualassociate credit ("in association with Paramount Pictures") in the film's credits and promotional materials, as well as "financial participation" from the film. Paramount's logo also appears in the film's opening titles alongside Disney and Lucasfilm.[1][2]
^The film has a gross budget of approximately $419million, but a tax reimbursement by the United Kingdom brought the net budget down to $352.3million.[4]
^Ed Dolista (February 20, 2023)."INDYCAST: EPISODE 337".IndyCast (Podcast). IndyCast.Archived from the original on December 10, 2023. RetrievedApril 29, 2023.
^D'Agostino, Ryan (May 31, 2023)."Harrison Ford Has Stories to Tell".Esquire.Archived from the original on June 1, 2023. RetrievedJune 1, 2023.Something must have weakened his shoulder, because when he held his hat in the face of actor Mads Mikkelsen and pulled his hand back to demonstrate the punch—someone was in the way and he had to adjust mid-strike—Ford pulled the subscapularis muscle off his right shoulder.
^Whitaker, Richard (June 30, 2023)."Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny".Austin Chronicle.Archived from the original on July 3, 2023. RetrievedJuly 3, 2023.Somehow the editing team of Michael McCusker, and Andrew Buckland, and Dirk Westervelt studied everything from Michael Kahn (who cut all four earlier adventures) except how to retain any sense of breathless energy.
^Reid, Caroline (February 8, 2023)."Disney's $300Million Bet To Tempt Back Cinemagoers".Forbes.Archived from the original on July 4, 2023. RetrievedMay 20, 2023.Ahead of its first quarter earnings release today, Disney has revealed that it has shelled out $294.7million (£244.1million) on making the latest instalment in the Indiana Jones series in a bid to tempt movie fans back to cinemas this year.
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