Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destinystar Harrison Ford addresses the film becoming a box office bomb. Directed by James Mangold, the fifth installment in theIndiana Jonesfranchise sees Ford back as the intrepid archaeologist for one last adventure, this time fighting against Nazis for control of a device they plan to use to change the course of history.Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destinyreviewswere generally positive from critics, but the film failed to make a mark at the box office, grossing $383 million on a reported budget of about $295 million.
In a recent interview withThe Wall Street Journal, Ford addressesIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’s underperformance, accepting some of the blame. The 82-year-old actor laments that movie theater culture has changed and fragmented, especially with the rise of streaming, but he doesn’t believe this is why his fifthIndyouting failed. Ford reveals that he was a major driving force behind bringing the hero back, but he still has no regrets. Check out his comment below:
“Sh*t happens. I was really the one who felt there was another story to tell. When [Indy] had suffered the consequences of the life that he had to live, I wanted one more chance to pick him up and shake the dust off his ass and stick him out there, bereft of some of his vigor, to see what happened. I’m still happy I made that movie.”
What Ford’s Comments Mean For Indiana Jones
Dial Of Destiny’s Failure Can’t Be Attributed To Just One Thing
WhenDial of Destinyhit theaters, it had been 15 years since Indy’s last outing inIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The movie industry drastically changed in those 15 years, especially with the onset of the pandemic. Though movies can and do still succeed in theaters,theatrical windows are smaller and audiences are now trained to wait for movies to become available on VOD and streaming.
Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny Ending Explained: Is It The Last Movie?
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny ends on a satisfying note for the beloved archaeologist. We break down the film’s ending and what’s next.
This is certainly one reason forDial of Destiny’s failure, but Disney also clearly overestimated how much interest there is inIndiana Jonesmoviesfrom younger audiences. Getting younger viewers on board for a massive blockbuster is crucial to success, butthe franchise is now 44 years old and Ford is in his 80s. Combined with a COVID-inflated budget that put the film’s break-even point probably around an eye-watering $600 million, lukewarm reviews, and a divisive previous installment,Dial of Destinywas a major risk.
Mangold has previously blamedDial of Destiny’s failure on audiences not wanting to see an older Indy in a movie that confronts his age and mortality, tellingDeadline: “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.”
Our Take On Indiana Jones 5’s Failure
Ford’s Last Outing As Indy Wasn’t A Total Disappointment
IfIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’s budgethad instead been around $185 million, asKingdom of the Crystal Skullwas, it may have ended up breaking even. Instead, one of cinema’s greatest heroes ended up going out on a disappointing note financially, andthe film’s failure has cemented that the franchise will probably lie dormant for the foreseeable future.
Dial of Destinydid, however, score an 87% from audiences onRotten Tomatoes, suggesting that those who did see it tended to enjoy it. Even if the movie didn’t succeed at the box office, it seems that the conclusion to Indy’s story wasn’t a let-down from a storytelling point of view, and that’s certainly worth celebrating. For Ford, it’s clear he has no regrets aboutIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
