Disney confirms that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will be the end of the franchise. The Lucasfilm franchise began in 1981 with The Raiders of the Lost Arkwhich became an instant classic. Harrison Ford reprized the role of the intrepid archaeologist in the 1984 prequel, The Cursed Templeand in the 1989 sequel, The Last Crusadecompleting the original trilogy. Harrison Ford returned in 2008 for The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. After a hiatus of nearly fifteen years, Harrison Ford is back for the fifth and final installment in the franchise.
Before the release date ofIndiana Jones 5, disney officially confirmed that this is the end of the franchise. A new press release from the studio refers to Indiana Jones 5 as “the long-awaited final installment in the beloved franchise.” James Mangold, which replaces Steven Spielberg to directing, also called the film “dIndiana Jones’ last adventure“. Although Harrison Ford previously said it would be its final rendition of Indiana Jones, this is the first time Disney has called The Dial of Destiny the ‘end of the franchise’.
Indiana Jones 5 © Lucasfilm
Indiana Jones franchise shutdown
The main reason for Indiana Jones franchise shutdown is the age of its star actor, 80, who is no longer interested in this role, which is physically too demanding. During production of Dial of Destiny, the actor even allegedly injured his shoulder while rehearsing a fight scene, which forced the production to work around his recovery. By ending with Indiana Jones 5, the franchise will hopefully be able to leave on a good note and avoid abusing unnecessary fallout on secondary characters as we have seen far too much in recent years.