'Indiana Jones 5' Exceeds Box Office Predictions, but Lags 50% Behind 'Indiana Jones 4'

Harrison Ford’s final go-around as the titular whip-cracking adventurer in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) has finally arrived in theaters. But even though the action flick is already beating lackluster box office projections, it’s not looking like the franchise will end on a high note.

Director James Mangold’s fifth and final addition to the beloved Indiana Jones pentalogy landed in theaters on June 30, 2023 after debuting at the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival back in May, and so far, reception has been…mixed, to say the least.

Despite receiving a five-minute standing ovation at Cannes (which, truthfully, isn’t saying much these days), Dial of Destiny was immediately met with less-than-impressive reviews from critics, failing to strike much of a cord with viewers who dubbed the movie “mediocre” and “joyless,” while still deeming it “entertaining” nonetheless.

It seems like its nostalgia factor wasn’t enough to dazzle critics, with its star, Harrison Ford, doing most of the heavy lifting. As for the rest of the A-list cast, comprised of Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Antonio Banderas, and Boyd Holbrook, there seem to be no complaints, other than that fact that Waller-Bridge’s Helena Shaw appears to take up more screen time than Indy himself.

The latest film in the Indiana Jones franchise is also Harrison Ford’s last, which seems to be a big pull factor for audiences. Taking place in 1969 New York City, the story chronicles the intrepid professor-by-day, archeologist-by-night’s quest against the Nazis to recover a mysterious device that can rewrite history. Check out the official trailer below:

Disney and Lucasfilm’s last jaunt with the Harrison Ford-led Indiana Jones franchise is already shaping up to be one of the top-earning summer blockbusters of 2023, but initially, box office experts predicted somewhat of a flop.

But after lackluster projections, analyst Luiz Fernando recently confirmed that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny managed to triumph at the box office, coming in at a $130.6 million opening weekend globally. However, the new movie still debuted to a whopping 52% below that of its predecessor, the Steven Spielberg-helmed Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008):

Update for #IndianaJonesAndTheDialOfDestiny came slightly above estimates grossing 60.4M on 3-day weekend at US #BoxOffice & 70.2M on 5-day opening overseas.
A 130.6M Global Opening for #DialOfDestiny, on par with #TheFlash’s 130.1M
-52% below #CrystalSkull’s 272.2M 2008 opening. pic.twitter.com/eiI76ZRYnQ

— Luiz Fernando (@Luiz_Fernando_J) July 3, 2023

Earning $60.4 million at the domestic box office and $70.2 from international markets, Dial of Destiny may have exceeded analysts’ expectations. However, it still falls short of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull‘s $272.2 million opening by a wide margin. So what does this mean for the legacy of Indiana Jones?

Well, not much. Even though its final installment may have fallen flat with critics, it seems like audiences are still in for a good time at the movies, with fans citing Ford’s performance, callbacks to past Indy adventures, and its awe-inspiring spectacle in their generally positive reviews. Considering just how successful and well-known the Indiana Jones IP is, it’s unlikely that Dial of Destiny would destroy Harrison Ford’s reputation or that of the franchise altogether.

The new movie beating out initial box office projections just goes to show how the general public’s perception of films is drastically different than critics’, something we’ve seen recently with The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) and even DreamWorks’ Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022).

It’s difficult to predict what kind of movies there will be widespread demand for and what audiences will respond well to when they arrive in theaters. However, maybe there really is a significant disconnect between critics and the general public, and Dial of Destiny is just the latest victim of low box office expectations.

Only time will tell if the fifth Indiana Jones adventure can rev up its box office performance in the coming weeks to break even with Crystal Skull or if the new movie will simply stand alone in its own right as Harrison Ford says goodbye to the role he helped develop into a smash hit global phenomenon.

Have you gotten the chance to see Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny yet? If so, what did you think? Let us know in the comments below.