Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Confirmed to Close the Franchise
Disney and Lucasfilm are officially billing the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny as the final entry in the fan-favorite adventure film franchise.
While it has long been expected that Dial of Destiny would be the 80-year-old Harrison Ford’s swan song as Indiana Jones, recent press material appears to confirm that the film will also mark the end of the franchise as a whole. “My legendary collaborators and I are very excited to share a brand new and final Indiana Jones adventure with you,” director James Mangold said in a statement when it was announced that Dial of Destiny would debut at the Cannes Film Festival in May ahead of its wide release in June. Moreover, a new press release from Disney itself describes the film as “the highly anticipated final installment of the beloved franchise.”
Notably, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy previously stated that the studio would never recast the role of Indiana Jones, seemingly implying that the franchise as we know it would end with Ford’s final performance as the character. “We would never make Indiana Jones without Harrison Ford,” she said. “Having just finished the fifth movie, I can tell you, there wasn’t a day I wasn’t on set where I wasn’t like, ‘Yes — this is Indiana Jones.'” Disney’s apparent confirmation that Dial of Destiny wraps up Indy’s story for good also comes shortly after reports surfaced that Lucasfilm had pulled the plug on its planned Indiana Jones spinoff series at it Disney’s behest.
The Indiana Jones Franchise So Far
Ford originated the role of Dr. Henry Walton “Indiana” Jones Jr. in Lucasfilm and Paramount’s 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark, which was directed by Steven Spielberg. Spielberg returned to helm three sequels — Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) and, most recently, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008). A television series titled The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles also aired for two seasons and four TV films from 1992 to 1996. Dial of Destiny marks the first Indiana Jones film to be made following Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm, as well as the first to not be directed by Spielberg, who instead serves as an executive producer.
In addition to Ford reprising his role as Indy, Dial of Destiny sees John Rhys-Davies reprise his role as Sallah from Raiders of the Lost Ark and Last Crusade. The upcoming film also stars Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Thomas Kretschmann, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Olivier Richters, Ethann Isidore and Mads Mikkelsen.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny opens in theaters on June 30.
Source: People; Screen Rant
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