Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny Brings The Iconic Character To The '60s
"Indy!" fans cry out a la Marion or Short Round. Indiana Jones is back and returning to the big screen on June 30, 2023. The trailer for the new film dropped today and is full of nods to the original films. Additionally, it finally tells us what the title of the highly anticipated film will be — "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny." Fans were excited to see that it looks like Harrison Ford still has got it as he inhabits the role for the fifth time.
The last "Indiana Jones" film that was released was "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" all the way back in 2008. It took 19 years for Indy to return to the screen for that film following "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." Upon its release, the 2008 sequel was not very well received by fans but has since found a cult following, including some surprising praise from director Quentin Tarantino. Now, taking nearly as long to return to the screen, Indiana Jones is up to some new adventures set against a new time period for him to explore.
Indiana Jones jumps 12 years in time to 1969
"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" brings Indy into the swinging 1960s. Indiana Jones has seen adventures in the 1930s in "Temple of Doom," in the 1940s in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "The Last Crusade," and in the 1950s in "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." Set 12 years after "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," "The Dial of Destiny" takes place in the tumultuous and generation-defining year of 1969.
James Mangold, of "Logan" and "Walk the Line" fame, takes over the director's chair for Steven Spielberg, who helmed all four of the previous installments in the series. Harrison Ford returns as the professor/archeologist/adventurer, and this time he is joined by Indy's goddaughter Helena, played by "Fleabag" star Phoebe Waller-Bridge. In the film, the pair face off against an ex-nazi and his evil henchman, played by Mads Mikkelsen and Boyd Holbrook, respectively, who are working hand-in-hand with NASA in an attempt to beat the Soviet Union getting to the moon.
Director James Mangold revealed the film would open in the 1940s and use de-aging techniques to make Harrison Ford look like he did in the original films. Based on the new trailer, the film seems like it is trying to return to the tone of the "Lawrence of Arabia" type of feel of the original "Raiders of the Lost Ark" film. There's even a fun reference to the gun scene from the original movie at the tail end of the trailer, so all and all, the new film feels very nostalgic for a variety of reasons.