(Updated 06/12/2023)
Amazingly, Indiana Jones is Harrison Ford's longest-running character. When INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY comes out in 2023 Indy will have been fighting Nazis with a pistol and whip for 42 years. While this new sequel to RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK is likely to bear many hallmarks of the character, it also brings big behind-the-scenes changes to the series.
INDIANA JONES 5 opens on June 30, 2023. With more than a year to go before release, you probably have questions about INDY 5. Fortunately, we have answers. Trust us.
Does Harrison Ford Play Indiana Jones Again?
Yes! And thankfully, Indy's adventuring wardrobe hasn't changed at all. The man is a creature of habit. Seems like Ford even still wears Indy's signature boots: The Alden 405, now called the Indy Boot, which is still made and sold by Alden. Supposedly, these were the boots Ford wore when he worked as a carpenter before getting famous, and he insisted that Indy wear them, too.)
When Can We See Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny?
INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY opens exclusively in movie theatres on June 30.
Watch the New Indiana Jones 5 Trailer
The new trailer for INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY is here! This trailer clarifies the plot and tells us more about what the title means.
What Is Indiana Jones 5 About?
The movie is primarily set in 1969 when the US effort to put a man on the moon has become an all-consuming national obsession. Trouble is, some of the people behind that space race have backgrounds in Nazi Germany. Which is to say, they're guys that Indiana Jones spent much of his life fighting.
Old rumors say the plot involves the fountain of youth, while more recent scuttlebutt suggests that time travel is involved. The movie's title suggests many things, which we'll get into shortly. It's even possible that the fountain of youth and time travel concepts were merged into this story. There have been multiple scripts for INDY 5. We know that when James Mangold joined the project as director, he wrote a new script with his FORD V FERRARI co-writers Jez and John-Henry Butterworth.
Harrison Ford Will Be Young Again
As seen in the trailers, INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY features significant digital de-aging for Harrison Ford. Reportedly this is used primarily for one sequence set in the 1940s.
Did Steven Spielberg Direct Indiana Jones 5?
Remember those big changes we mentioned? This is the first Indy movie not directed by co-creator Steven Spielberg. The INDIANA JONES 5 director is James Mangold, who made LOGAN and FORD V FERRARI. Spielberg is on board as a "very active" executive producer, however.
This is also the first Indy movie with no involvement from George Lucas. The STAR WARS creator came up with the original script that became RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK before he made STAR WARS. In 1977, when friend Steven Spielberg mentioned wanting to make a James Bond movie, Lucas said "I've got something even better." Spielberg loved the script and they soon made a deal with Paramount to make up to five Indiana Jones movies. While Indiana Jones wasn't ready to hang up his hat, Lucas was. So INDIANA JONES 5 moved forward without him.
What Year Does Indiana Jones 5 Take Place In?
THE DIAL OF DESTINY takes place primarily in 1969, but as mentioned, at least one sequence will flash back to the 1940s. The pattern of Indy movie settings originally made us think it would take place in the early to mid-1970s. But the set photos which suggested a setpiece at a Bicentennial ticker tape parade actually show a parade thrown to celebrate the launch of Apollo 11 in 1969.
"Empire" magazine specifies the 1969 setting, saying that Jones is still battling Nazis. Or ex-Nazis at least, as he is drawn to investigate some of the former officers who now contribute to the United States space program. (Hence the Apollo 11 parade.)
What Is the Dial of Destiny in Indiana Jones 5?
Great question! We don't know exactly, but the new INDY 5 trailer does give us a lot of info. Mads Mikkelsen recently said his character "would like to correct some of the mistakes of the past. There is something that could make the world a much better place to live in. He would love to get his hands on it. Indiana Jones wants to get his hands on it as well."
That "something" is the Dial of Destiny, but what is the Dial, really? It is clearly an object of power akin to the Ark of the Covenant. But can it manipulate time? Or change the past or future? The name suggests many things but we don't have answers right now.
Is Shia LaBeouf in Indiana Jones 5?
No. Shia LaBeouf is not in INDIANA JONES 5. James Mangold told EW that we will "find out what happened" to Indy's son, which will presumably explain why he's not in the movie.
Given that THE DIAL OF DESTINY takes place in 1969, four years after the United States entered the Vietnam War, it's possible that Mutt is overseas. But he would be almost 30, so he probably was not drafted. And Mutt doesn't seem like a military kind of guy, so it's hard to believe he would have enlisted. So we're not going to get too hung up on Vietnam as the explanation for Mutt's absence.
Who Else Stars in Indiana Jones 5?
Quite a few excellent actors will join Harrison Ford in INDY 5. Phoebe Waller-Bridge plays Jones's goddaughter, who ends up side-by-side with Indy for the new adventure. John Rhys-Davies returns as Sallah, originally seen in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.
Mads Mikkelsen plays the main villain, Voller, while Boyd Holbrook appears as Klaber, the baddie's right-hand man. Antonio Banderas reportedly plays a character who will be an ally to Jones. Thomas Kretschmann, Shaunette Renée Wilson, and Olivier Richters are all in the movie, too. Finally, there's Toby Jones, who appears to be a colleague of Jones's — and probably the father of Phoebe Waller-Bridge's character.
Is Indiana Jones 5 the Last Movie in the Series?
Every time there's a new Indy movie it seems like it might be the last. But this time it really is. Harrison Ford will turn 81 just after the release of INDIANA JONES 5, which makes this a good time for him to finish out his run with the character.
In fact, the actor recently said, “This is the final film in the series, and this is the last time I’ll play the character… I anticipate that it will be the last time that he appears in a film." There has also been talk of an Indiana Jones TV series, but Ford says he won't be part of it.
You might think someone else could play Indy in a rebooted version of the series. Ford does not agree. In 2019, when asked about someone else taking the role, he said "Don’t you get it? I’m Indiana Jones. When I’m gone, he’s gone. It’s easy."
Movie Rewards Members Can Win an Indy-Themed Getaway
From May 22 to July 4, when Cinemark Movie Club members purchase tickets to INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY, they'll be entered to win a trip for two to Morocco and the Sahara Desert. The National Geographic Expeditions outing begins in Casablanca before traveling through Marrakech, the High Atlas Mountains and multiple additional locations before ending in Fez, an amazing city in which the centuries-old fabric dying trade is the backdrop for a visually marvelous tour. More trip details can be found here.
Log in to your Movie Club account and purchase INDIANA JONES tickets via the website or app to enter!
INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY opens on June 30!
All images courtesy of Lucasfilm and Walt Disney Pictures.