Everything to Know Before Seeing Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
#10: The Lengthy Development
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The road to “Indiana Jones 5” has been longer than you might think. When Steven Spielberg and George Lucas signed their 1979 deal with Paramount, they agreed to produce five “Indian Jones” movies. After “Last Crusade,” though, Lucas struggled to come up with another plot device. A fourth film remained in limbo until Spielberg finally agreed to Lucas’ alien invasion idea, although the director always had reservations about the “interdimensional beings” angle. A month before “Crystal Skull” came out, Ford said it wouldn’t take 20 years to make a fifth film. It just took 15 years! During this long gap, it was rumored that Chris Pratt might inherit the fedora from Ford, although the “Jurassic World” actor eventually shot those speculations down.
#9: Disney’s First “Indiana Jones” Movie
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“Raiders” contains one of cinema’s most treasured transitions from the Paramount logo to the opening mountain shot. Although Paramount released the first four films, Disney has a history with Indy as well, producing several theme park attractions centered on the character. Disney acquired “Indiana Jones” along with Lucasfilm in 2012. Yet, Disney wouldn’t officially purchase the franchise’s distribution and marketing rights until the following year. Paramount still preserved distribution rights to the original tetralogy and would be compensated for any future films. “Indiana Jones 5” wasn’t Lucasfilm’s top priority with the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy in the works, but the follow-up was officially announced in 2016. Although slated for a 2019 release, rewrites, changing talent, and COVID pushed the film back four more years.
#8: Antonio Banderas’ Small Role
On the heels of Puss in Boots facing his mortality, Antonio Banderas will aid another fearless hero who seemingly has nine lives. In July 2021, Banderas landed the role of Renaldo, a boat captain who has a history with Indiana Jones. This isn’t Banderas’ first Speilberg production, having played the titular swashbuckler in “The Mask of Zorro.” Banderas claims that he’s not in the film for very long, saying that “it’s almost a cameo.” Nevertheless, Banderas is still “very happy” to be part of Indy’s legacy. Banderas also might’ve dropped a spoiler in an interview, saying that Renaldo would “die” for Indy. Whatever Banderas means by that, Renaldo will surely help Indy get from Point A to Point B on the road to destiny.
#7: Mads Mikkelsen Is Naturally the Villain
Spielberg got involved in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” after telling Lucas that he wanted to direct a James Bond picture. So, we guess it’s only fitting that Indy’s adventures would end with a former Bond baddie. 17 years after going up against 007 in “Casino Royale,” Mads Mikkelsen plays Jürgen Voller, the latest Nazi to confront Indiana Jones. The character draws inspiration from Wernher von Braun, who served as a rocket scientist in Nazi Germany before being enlisted for NASA’s Apollo program. Voller’s aspirations go beyond the Moon, however. World War II may be over, but Voller has a plan to rewrite history. In Voller’s warped mind, he’s the hero of this story and the world will be better off once he’s done.
#6: Sallah Strikes Back
Played by John Rhys-Davies, Sallah has a habit of only popping up in the odd-numbered “Indiana Jones” movies. With “Raiders” and “Last Crusade” being considered the franchise’s best outings, some consider Sallah the lucky charm. After riding into the sunset with Indy, Sallah was supposed to resurface for the wedding scene in “Crystal Skull.” According to Rhys-Davies, Sallah only would’ve appeared briefly via green screen. Rhys-Davies ultimately declined this cameo, feeling that Sallah and the audience deserved better than that. There was some uncertainty if Sallah would return for “Dial of Destiny,” but his presence was confirmed at 2022’s D23. After helping Dr. Jones find the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail, Sallah is eager for another adventure.
#5: Phoebe Waller-Bridge Plays Indy’s Latest Partner
Just when Indy thought he was out, Fleabag pulled him back in. Phoebe Waller-Bridge brings fresh blood to the franchise as Indy’s goddaughter, Helena. Her father was Basil Shaw, played by Toby Jones, who spent much of his life hunting the titular Dial of Destiny. Helena seeks to complete her father’s work. Getting the boulder rolling, she tracks down her godfather for another exploration. James Mangold drew parallels between Helena and Jean Harrington, Barbara Stanwyck’s character in “The Lady Eve.” In that 1941 screwball comedy, Stanwyck played a con artist who gets involved with Henry Fonda’s Charles, who was ironically a snake expert. Time will only tell if we’ll see Helena in future adventures, although Mangold says that she isn’t taking over the Indy role.
#4: George Lucas’ Unused “Indiana Jones” Ideas
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Before the Disney deal, Lucas had been tinkering with ideas for a fifth “Indiana Jones.” Leading up to “Crystal Skull,” Lucas said that the next film could potentially focus on Shia LaBeouf’s Mutt. Lucas ultimately realized that an “Indiana Jones” movie has to be about Indy, saying, “If it was Mutt Williams, it would be ‘Mutt Williams and the Search for Elvis’ or something.” According to Frank Marshall, a script for “Indiana Jones 5” hadn’t been written before the Disney acquisition. However, Ford claimed that Lucas had a “crazy but great” premise. After Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy took over, there were conflicting reports of Lucas’ involvement in “Indy 5.” While Lucas remains an executive producer, this is the first “Indy” film without his story input.
#3: Steven Spielberg Isn’t Directing
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Having directed the previous four films, Spielberg is almost as synonymous with “Indian Jones” as Harrison Ford. As a fifth movie gained traction in 2016, it was announced that Spielberg would take the helm again with John Williams also returning as a composer. With projects like “The Post” and “Ready Player One” requiring Spielberg’s attention, “Indy 5” kept getting pushed back. By February 2020, Spielberg decided that it was time for another director to leave their mark. Spielberg remained attached to the sequel, serving as an executive producer. However, directorial duties fell to “Logan’s” James Mangold, who Ford suggested for the job. After seeing Mongold’s film, Spielberg enthusiastically said, “Damn! I thought I was the only one who knew how to make one of these.”
#2: The Time Travel Twist
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One of the biggest challenges for any “Indiana Jones” movie is coming up with the right MacGuffin. Lucas felt that MacGuffins should tie in archaeologically or historically with Indy’s adventures, saying in 2008, “You can’t just make something up, like a time machine.” Well, keep in mind that Luas also said there would never be a “Star Wars: Episode VII.” While the plot synopsis is vague, time travel will play a significant role in “Dial of Destiny.” It might not have been the MacGuffin that Lucas would’ve gone with, but time travel makes sense for a character whose time is running out. A literal race against the clock also suits the 1969 backdrop with the Space Race reaching a critical point.
#1: Harrison Ford’s Last Crusade (For Real This Time)
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Speaking of time travel, Harrison Ford is being de-aged for the film’s 25-minute opening, which takes place in 1944. Ford, who turned 80 during production, stated in May 2023, “This is the final film in the series, and this is the last time I’ll play the character. I anticipate that it will be the last time that he appears in a film.” With a Disney+ series being eyed, it’s safe to say that this franchise will likely continue in some form. As of writing, though, there are no plans to recast the titular role. As Ford said in 2019, “I’m Indiana Jones. When I’m gone, he’s gone.” Whatever the future holds for the “Indy” franchise, this will be Ford’s final crack of the whip.
