Steven Spielberg has seen “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” the fifth installment in the long-running adventure franchise and, notably, the first entry not to be directed by Spielberg himself. “The Wolverine” and “Ford v Ferrari” director James Mangold took over filmmaking duties on “Dial of Destiny.” Anyone worried a Spielberg-less “Indiana Jones” movie might not deliver the goods can now rest easy, as Spielberg himself loved the latest sequel.
“I just had that experience two nights ago,” Spielberg said at the Time 100 Summit when asked what it’s like watching an “Indiana Jones” movie he didn’t direct. “Bob Iger had a screening for a lot of the Disney executives, and I came to the screening along with the director James Mangold. Everybody loved the movie. It’s really, really a good ‘Indiana Jones’ film. I’m really proud of what Jim has done with it.”
Spielberg added, “When the lights came up I just turned to the group and said, ‘Damn! I thought I was the only one who knew how to make one of these.”
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“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” picks up with Harrison Ford’s famed archeologist in the late 1960s as he drawn back into an adventure to stop the reemergence of Nazis. The supporting cast includes Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen and Antonio Banderas. The film is the first “Indiana Jones” movie since the Spielberg-directed “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” which grossed $790 million worldwide in 2008.
Spielberg launched the “Indiana Jones” franchise in 1981 with “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” which had a story co-created by George Lucas. The two went on to create three sequels together: 1984’s “Temple of Doom,” 1989’s “Last Crusade” and 2008’s “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.”
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” is set for a theatrical release on June 30 from Disney after a world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival next month. Ford has gone on record saying it will mark the last time he plays the eponymous character.
