“Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny” got the red carpet treatment in with its Disney premiere in LA yesterday (and an additional press screening in NYC). And the cast of the new “Indy” installment was there to help promote the film, Phoebe Waller-Bridge among them. So does the actress have any scoop on the franchise’s future and whether or not she’s part of it? Deadline reports they asked Waller-Bridge about that, and her answer may surprise fans.
So, will the “Fleabag” actress be the one to don Indy’s fedora after Harrison Ford retires? “First I’ve ever heard of it!” she responded when asked that question. In “Dial Of Destiny,” Waller-Bridge plays Helena Shaw, Indy’s goddaughter, a whip-smart but slippery young woman trying to track down this film’s prized artifact, the Antikythera mechanism. As Indy’s primary protege in the new film, it’s widely speculated that Helena would take over as the franchise lead from here on out, much like fans expected Shai LaBeouf to do so after “Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Cyrstal Skull.”
Thankfully, that didn’t happen with LaBeouf’s Mutt. And now, according to Waller-Bridge, it probably won’t happen with Helena either. In fact, the actress sounds like she’s happy she even starred in one “Indiana Jones” film. “It’s not something I’d ever imagine I’d be a part of,” the actress continued, “so every single day felt like a dream.” Waller-Bridge also said “Dial Of Destiny” is a “beautiful closing chapter” for Indiana Jones, which ostensibly means the franchise will end here.
But of course, Lucasfilm and Disney love to milk their franchises for all their worth. There’s talk of an “Indiana Jones” series for Disney+, which would continue the brand in some capacity. And “The Dial Of Destiny” hit theaters fifteen years after the last “Indy” film in 2008, so it’s not as if time is of the essence for the franchise to carry on. But bear in mind that Ford is now 80: it’s safe to say this new film is the last time he’ll carry Indy’s whip.
As for Waller-Bridge’s future, she’s on an overall deal with Amazon thanks to the success of “Fleabag.” The first thing the actress works on after that award-winning series will be a series adaptation of the Claudia Lux novel “Sign Here,” currently in development. But don’t expect that out for a while, given the WGA writers’ strike. And Waller-Bridge hinted at another project she’s working on, too. “It’s all very much the Writers Strike at the moment, so, we’re all taking a break,” said the actress. “But if that all gets sorted, I’m working on “Tomb Raider.””
So even if “Dial Of Destiny” ends up the last “Indiana Jones” film, Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s adventuring days are far from over. “Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny” hits theaters in two weeks on June 30. Watch a trailer for the blockbuster below.
