Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is an upcoming American action-adventure film directed by James Mangold, who co-wrote it with Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, and David Koepp. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Lucasfilm Ltd., and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, the film is the sequel to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), and the fifth installment in the Indiana Jones film series.
The film stars Harrison Ford in his final portrayal of archaeologist Indiana Jones. John Rhys-Davies reprises his role as Sallah from earlier films, along with new cast members including Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Thomas Kretschmann, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Ethann Isidore, and Mads Mikkelsen.
It is the first film in the series not directed by Steven Spielberg nor with a story written by George Lucas, with Spielberg and Lucas serving as executive producers instead. It is also the first film in the series not to be distributed by Paramount, as Disney acquired the film rights following its acquisition of Lucasfilm; however, as per compensation by the said deal, Paramount retained a residual associate credit.
Plans for a fifth Indiana Jones film go back to the late 1970s when Lucas and Spielberg negotiated with Paramount for four sequels to Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Lucas began researching potential plot devices for a fifth film in 2008, although the project stalled for years. He passed the project to producer Kathleen Kennedy in 2012 when she became the president of Lucasfilm. Progress on a fifth film remained dormant while the company worked on the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Koepp was eventually hired to write the fifth film in 2016, with a release date set for 2019, although this was delayed several times due to rewrites. In 2018, Jonathan Kasdan was hired to replace Koepp, who returned to write in 2019 before eventually leaving the project. Spielberg was set to direct, but stepped down in 2020, with Mangold taking his place. Filming began in June 2021, taking place in various locations including the United Kingdom, Italy, and Morocco, and wrapped in February 2022.
The film’s plot picks up in 1969, where American archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones (Ford) lives against the backdrop of the Space Race. Jones is uneasy over the fact that the U.S. government has recruited former Nazis to help beat the Soviet Union in the competition to make it to space. His goddaughter, Helena Shaw (Waller-Bridge), accompanies him on his journey. Meanwhile, Jürgen Voller (Mikkelsen), a NASA member and ex-Nazi involved with the moon-landing program, wishes to make the world into a better place as he sees fit.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is scheduled to premiere at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2023, and for release theatrically in the United States on June 30, 2023. Watch the official trailer below.