James Mangold‘s “Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny” will have its world premiere next month at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18: a prestige showing for a prestige franchise. Or what was once a prestige franchise? Fifteen years after 2008’s “Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Cyrstal Skull,” it’s hard to tell how much cultural caché Lucasfilm‘s storied series still has. Neither critics nor audiences loved that film, with many considering it a blemish on an otherwise untarnished trilogy by Steven Spielberg.
Did Spielberg ruin Indy’s legacy with the 2008 film? That’s a question for another time. But with Spielberg not directing “The Dial Of Destiny,” his take on Mangold’s new film is a big deal. After all, it’s arguably Spielberg, not George Lucas, that’s the man who made Indiana Jones. Well, Empire reports that Spielberg has indeed seen the new film, and his take is very positive. In fact, he’s surprised at how well Mangold adapted the franchise’s formula.
“I just had that experience two nights ago,” said Spielberg. “Bob Iger had a screening for a lot of the Disney executives and I came to the screening along with James Mangold, the director. Everybody loved the movie. It’s really, really a good Indiana Jones film. I’m really proud of what Jim has done with it.” But how good is good? Spielberg gave no details about why “The Dial Of Destiny” passes his muster, but he did give the film his endorsement. “When the lights came up, I just stood up and turned to the group and said, ‘Damn! I thought I was the only one who knew how to make one of these’,” added Spielberg.
So maybe Mangold indeed has a magic touch when it comes to the Indiana Jones property. Set in the late-1960s, “The Dial Of Destiny” sees Harrison Ford reprise his role as the iconic professor-adventurer, who teams up with Phoebe Waller-Bridge‘s Helena, Indy’s goddaughter, as he gets entwined with a Nazi-related scheme that’s playing out behind the US-Russian space race. Mads Mikkelson plays Jürgen Voller, this movie’s big bad, an ex-Nazi recruited by NASA who has sinister plans to carry out. Boyd Holbrook is Klaber, Voller’s henchman, with Toby Jones playing Helena’s father. Also on board is Aontonio Banderas as Indy’s friend Renaldo, and Jonathan Rhys-Davies reprising his role as Sallah.
Lucasfilm wants to keep plot details on “The Dial Of Destiny” under wraps until the film’s Cannes premiere, so stay tuned to The Playlist’s festival coverage next month to know more. After that, “Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny” hits theaters everywhere on June 30. And if Steven Spielberg endorses the film, it has to be good, right? Right? Fingers crossed Indy doesn’t “jump the shark” in this one, because he’s already ‘fridged the nuclear bomb (and that was more than enough).