The Indiana Jones franchise is headed toward its final, climactic conclusion.
Titled Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the fifth film in the longstanding franchise will see Harrison Ford reprise his iconic role as Indy, joined by John Rhys-Davies returning as Indy’s old friend Sallah. These fan-favorite stars will be joined by several exciting newcomers, in the thrilling — and hopefully satisfying — conclusion to a franchise 40 years in the making.
Dial of Destiny‘s release date
14 years after his last adventure, Indiana Jones is returning to cinemas on June 30, 2023.
Replacing Steven Spielberg is James Mangold, director of The Wolverine, Logan, and Girl, Interrupted, among many other hit films. Mangold enthused that Raiders of the Lost Ark was one of the reasons he became a film director in the first place, and promised fans that “my team and I will knock ourselves out trying to make something good.” He’s also suggested that the franchise will head in new directions, explaining that “you have to push something to someplace new, while also remembering the core reasons why everyone was gathered.”
Dial of Destiny‘s cast
A new addition to the franchise is Phoebe Waller-Bridge, of Fleabag fame, in the role of Indy’s goddaughter Helena. Other new arrivals include Black Panther’s Shaunette Renée Wilson, Thomas Kretcshmann, and the legendary Mads Mikkelsen — who has said the film’s script is everything he “wished it to be.”
During September’s D23 expo, Waller-Bridge said that the new installment will bring back “everything people want and need from these films.” Ford himself called the film “fantastic” and praised Waller-Bridge as “one of the reasons” why.
Another welcome returning member of the team is John Williams, whose legendary musical compositions helped to propel films like Star Wars, Jurassic Park, and, of course, the original Raiders of the Lost Ark to iconic status.
Dial of Destiny‘s plot
As for the plot, the crew is keeping it tightly under wraps — even the trailer premiered at D23 doesn’t reveal anything specific. But an intriguing set photo showing ancient soldiers has gotten fans speculating that Indy could find himself thrown thousands of years into the past.
More recent trailers have revealed even more about the plot, with clear hints pointing toward some wild time travel shenanigans. While the earliest responses to the film aren’t great — leading to a disappointingly low Rotten Tomatoes score — fans are determined to make up their own minds about the final Indiana Jones film.