Misunderstood or Ignored? Is Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny a Box Office Disaster?
Indiana Jones and the Dial Of Destiny marks the end of a golden period in the history of entertainment. Legendary actor Harrison Ford retires from the Indiana Jones universe after devoting more than four decades of his acting career to the action-adventure franchise. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny has already hit the theatres and Harrison Ford’s fans are excited to see the reputed archeologist on screen for one last time.
Coming up with sequels and prequels has its own pros and cons. Sometimes the sequels are a box office hit due to the fan base the previous chapters and the characters have already created in the entertainment world, but sometimes the over-expectations of the critics and fans and the constant comparison with the previous installments to the newly released plagues the success of the project both commercially and critically. Something similar happened with Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the much-hyped fifth part of the Indiana Jones series.
Is Harrison Ford’s Latest Indiana Jones Already A Commercial Disaster At The Box Office?
Harrison Ford has been the official face of Indiana Jones for over forty years. The actor has been entertaining the audience by donning his iconic fedora and leather jacket with deep knowledge of ancient civilizations and languages, and sheer love for mystery. Over the years Harrison Ford has been one of the major draws for the gigantic fan following of the Indiana Jones franchise. The Star Wars actor’s dedication and commitment to his projects have made him one of the most iconic and loved characters in the history of cinema.
Made on a large scale budget of $295 million, the fifth chapter of Indiana Jones was expected to open to a low grossing value amounting to $60 to $70 million on a duration of five-day debut. According to the statistics, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is the expensive installment from the House of the Indiana Jones franchise. The fourth chapter of the Harrison Ford starer franchise Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, in 2008, was a mammoth hit despite facing criticism. The expectations from the recently released Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny are very high, but the hot and cold audience reception has confused Disney and Lucasfilm.
During the premiere of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny in the United Kingdom, Harrison Ford revealed that the decision to cast him as Indiana Jones was a silly one. He mentioned-
“I mean, it’s kind of silly. It’s 42 years we’ve been going on with this. But the reason for that, I think, is because these are family films, and they’re passed on from generation to generation of young people when their parents feel it’s the right time.”
Casting the actor in his eighties to play the role of Indiana Jones might have been great with respect to a certain section of the audience who have seen the actor in his youth playing the iconic character, but the rest of the audience would have found it a bit weird to witness an old archeologist, time traveling and fighting against the Nazis.
How The Age Gap In The Target Audience Led To The Downfall Of Indiana Jones?
Amongst all the reasons for the downfall of Harrison Ford’s last project from the Indiana Jones franchise, the gap between the audience is one of the major ones. The franchise dates back to the 80s, so it can be assumed that the fans of the legendary actor come under the age bracket of 40-50. The major part of the moviegoers is a young lot. They might know about Harrison Ford as a legendary actor, but they are still untouched by the acting prowess and the on-screen excellence of the 80-year-old actor.
According to the reputed media outlet Deadline’s editorial director, Anthony D’Alessandro pointed out the flaws in the marketing strategy of the movie and it impacted its position at the box office. He mentioned-
“The biggest problem with Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is that there were no efforts here to cast-it-up and make it appealing to an under-40, diverse crowd, like Paramount did with Top Gun: Maverick. Dial of Destiny was conceived for the hardcore Indy fans, which are dudes over 50.”
He further continued-
“This is evident in the B- that Dial of Destiny received from 18-24 moviegoers. Disney reports that 42% of the audience was under 35 for Dial of Destiny.”
With Harrison Ford hanging his fedora hat, satchel, whip, and his boots at the door of Indiana Jones, the legendary actor’s fans are overjoyed with the release of the fifth installment of the action-adventure franchise.
Indiana Jones and the Dial Of Destiny is currently running in theatres worldwide.
Source: Deadline
