'Indiana Jones 5' Finally Sees Box Office Success After Disastrous China "Flop"

After bombing in one of Disney’s biggest international markets, it looks like director James Mangold’s foray into the hit action-adventure franchise Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) might actually manage to break even at the box office.

Harrison Ford is back in action as the titular daredevil archeologist for the fifth and final installment in his beloved Indiana Jones series. The movie, which officially landed in theaters on June 30, marks the veteran actor’s last onscreen portrayal of the character, concluding Ford’s 40-year career in the franchise.

Dial of Destiny takes place in 1969 New York City, and follows an older version of Indy gearing up for retirement when he’s suddenly thrust into the middle of a dangerous scheme involving Nazis and a mysterious, time-bending dial that he must retrieve with the help of his goddaughter, Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge).

Mads Mikkelsen plays the menacing Nazi scientist Jürgen Voller, while Boyd Holbrook plays his henchman, Klaber, among others.

Check out the official trailer for Walt Disney Studios and Lucasfilm’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny below:

So far, the new Indiana Jones installment seems to be an overall crowd-pleaser with general audiences. However, critics were less than impressed when it debuted at the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival back in May. The film currently sits at a 69% critics’ score, while regular viewers gave it a much more generous 88%.

Initially, it looked like Dial of Destiny was heading for trouble after it failed to make much of a splash at the international box office—especially in China, where it had a catastrophic $2.3 million opening weekend. Meanwhile, in the U.S., the sequel made an astounding entrance in North America, raking in a remarkable $100 million within its first three days.

However, there was a bit of a lull in ticket sales until recently, which posed a significant threat to Disney and Lucasfilm, as the movie cost a whopping $295 million to make. To draw audiences back to theaters, Lucasfilm’s official social media account shared a post spoiling one of the film’s surprise cameos, which was immediately met with heavy scrutiny, considering the film has been out for less than a week.

The controversial move was heavily criticized by fans, who accused Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy of panicking and sharing this major spoiler in a shameless attempt to make money. But whether moviegoers agreed with the studio’s decision or not, it seems to have worked.

With today being July 4, Monday was seen as a de facto holiday for most Americans, which accounted for more audiences heading to theaters to catch the latest Indiana Jones installment. By the end of Tuesday, box office forecasts estimate the film will have made around $82.5 million domestically, which is good news for Disney considering its otherwise lackluster opening.

Thanks to the Independence Day holiday, Dial of Destiny might finally be on track to break even after flopping in China and other global markets. However, the adventure flick will have to keep up the momentum going well into the coming weeks to become profitable, which remains impossible to predict.

Only time will tell if the new Indiana Jones installment’s nostalgia factor, top-tier performances, and time-twisting shenanigans will be enough to hold a flame to the Steven Spielberg-directed Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), which grossed over $790 million worldwide. If not, Dial of Destiny‘s poor performance could spell trouble for the franchise’s future—especially without its leading star at the helm.

 

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