Credit: LucasfilmAn iconic hero returns. In 2023, Harrison Ford picks up the whip and hat once again to bring back Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023), directed by James Mangold. Here’s everything you need to know to be ready for the return of a cinema legend…
Related: Alternate Ending For ‘Indiana Jones’? John Williams Drops Huge ‘Indy’ News At Concert!
What Is Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny About?
Indiana Jones is a man who has seen a lot of action. The Indiana Jones franchise has seen him take on adventures around the globe, and with a host of different allies and enemies along the way. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) saw him tracking down the Ark of the Covenant and dragging Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) along with him. It was his first face-off against Nazis; it won’t be his last.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), a prequel, was next up. It saw Jones face off against a sinister Thuggee cult. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) would return to battling the Third Reich, this time with Sean Connery as his father by his side.
His last cinematic appearance, before Dial of Destiny, was Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), the most controversial of the series so far due to the inclusion of sci-fi, rather than purely supernatural, elements, and the introduction of Shia LaBeouf’s Mutt Williams as Indy and Marion’s son. They faced off against Cate Blanchett’s Irina Spalko, a KGB agent, and became entangled in the UFO conspiracies surrounding Roswell. Karen Allen returned for this entry and the film finished with Indiana and Marion actually marrying.
This film, Dial of Destiny, seems to resume the pattern of intermittent Nazi fights: Indy is set to come up against Mads Mikkelsen’s Jürgen Voller, an ex-Nazi scientist recruited by NASA to assist in the Space Race in a desperate effort to make the Moon landing happen before the Soviet Union. For this adventure, he will be joined by his goddaughter, Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge).
Who is directing?
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will be directed by James Mangold, whose credits include The Wolverine (2013), Logan (2017) and Ford V Ferrari (2019). He stepped in to replace Steven Spielberg, who directed all the previous entries in the series and was originally tipped to lead this one too before ceding and recommending Mangold as a replacement in 2020. Returning to score is John Williams, whose iconic theme — one of the most famous in all of cinema — will surely return too.
When is it set?
Crystal Skull took place in 1957. This movie takes place in 1969, with Indiana’s escapades taking place against the direct backdrop of the Space Race and the changing world of the 1960s. Director James Mangold has spoken to Entertainment Weekly of how the film’s opening sequence will be set in 1944, and de-aging technology will be used to recreate Ford’s younger looks from the first three movies. It’s that de-aged Harrison Ford that was seen in the first trailer.
The film will then move into the 1960s and show how that old world of ‘black and white morality’ will no longer be applicable in a global situation that has moved deeper into the gray. That’s directly represented by Voller’s status as an ex-Nazi, now ostensibly working for the United States in their race. Things are not as easily cut into good and bad as they once were.
Who Is in the Cast?
Every Indiana Jones film has had a stacked cast and this one is no exception. As the franchise’s popularity and esteem has grown, so has it’s ability to attract some of the biggest talent.
Who Are They Playing?
On the roster this time is the aforementioned Mads Mikkelsen, as iconic a villain actor as any having played the dignified cannibal Hannibal Lecter in the show of the same name for a number of years. Gifted comedian and Fleabag alum Phoebe Waller-Bridge is stepping into the sidekick shoes as Helena.
Antonio Banderas is another friend to our hero archeologist, playing ally Renaldo, alongside fellow friend Basil, played by Toby Jones.
Joining Mikkelsen on the side of evil is Thomas Kretschmann’s Colonel Weber, a Nazi working with Voller in 1944. And Boyd Holbrook is playing Klaber, Voller’s nefarious right-hand man in the modern world of 1969.
Are There Any Returning Characters?
So far, there’s only two concrete returning characters. We have Harrison Ford as Indiana, in his final appearance in the role. But there’s also John Rhys Davies returning as Sallah, Indy’s long-time friend and ally, who previously appeared in Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade and played a vital role in both in getting Indiana through his entanglements alive. Let’s hope he is as effective in this movie. Ford’s comments to Time about him being the only person who can play the part would suggest this is his final swing of the whip.
There are two characters who could return, but one of whom we definitely know isn’t: LaBeouf’s Mutt Williams and Karen Allen’s Marion. The former is confirmed to not be coming back, but we will discover the character’s fate in the movie. The latter hasn’t been heard from, other than from Allen herself, who had previously spoken about how difficult it would be to continue Indy’s story without her featuring somehow due to their marriage at the end of the last movie. And they aren’t a cast member, but they are as integral to the franchise as Indiana himself: composer John Williams, as previously mentioned, has returned to score.
When Does It Release?
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is set to debut on June 30 this year, right in the heart of summer blockbuster season. It demonstrates a confidence from Disney — who took over releasing the movie after Lucasfilm’s purchase by the House of Mouse in 2012 — that Indiana can still play well against the big releases mid-year.
Related: Bad News For ‘Indy’ as Disney Reportedly Cancels New Entry
Did The Odds of the Release Date Changing Just Go Up A Lot?
There have been rumblings of cancellation and change in the world of Indiana Jones. Rumors recently circulated that the long-gestating Indiana Jones TV series, slated for Disney+, has been given the chop. But there’s also hope this could be a good sign for the Ke Huy Quan ‘Short Round’ sidekick spin-off that Twitter has been clamoring for, especially given the actor’s recent Best Actor win at the Academy Awards.
Thankfully, this cancellation doesn’t seem to have had an impact on Dial Of Destiny. Despite the film previously moving multiple times, with script rewrites, director changes and behind-the-scenes development delaying Indiana’s return, it now seems firmly fixed to the June 30, 2023 date. We look forward to seeing what director James Mangold has come up with: let’s hope it’s more Raiders of the Lost Ark than Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
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