Critical popcorn

There is a very real prospect that the long-awaited Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny release will fail to rank in the top ten movies of 2023 at the U.S. box office. For more than four decades, the Indiana Jones franchise has been one of the most immersive in Hollywood. The first four releases in the franchise have each gone on to rank in the top three for box-office earnings in the years they were released.

The Raiders of the Lost Ark was comfortably the top performer at the U.S. box office in 1981, while the Temple of Doom and Last Crusade ranked second at the U.S. box office in 1984 and 1989 respectively. 2008’s Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ranked third at the U.S. box office, demonstrating a decline in the franchise’s pull.

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How much did Dial of Destiny gross stateside?

The fifth – and final – release appears to have dropped in dramatic fashion. It’s estimated to have grossed around $175 million at the U.S. box office. These figures are likely to make Dial of Destiny only the 12th-highest-grossing movie of 2023. Narrowly missing out on the top ten would still be an impressive achievement for most other movies, but it’s less of an achievement for the Indiana Jones franchise that’s become something of an institution.

In fact, Indiana Jones has become part of popular culture, not just in America but worldwide. There have been references to Indiana Jones in pop culture for decades. Comics like The Amazing Spider-Man and Avengers have depicted Indiana Jones, as well as popular animated TV shows like South Park and The Simpsons. In WWE wrestling, Chris Jericho even parodied the Raiders of the Lost Ark idol and sandbag scene.

It’s also inspired a new wave of ancient Egyptian slot games, including Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead, with Rich Wilde characterized as an Indiana Jones-esque intrepid explorer. Its popularity has led to this slot becoming one of the market leaders for free spins no deposit campaigns, particularly in the UK iGaming market.

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Dial of Destiny director defends its commercial performance

The film director of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, James Mangold, admitted the success or failure of the movie at the U.S. box office was out of his hands. Mangold insisted there was “nothing [he could] do” about a movie’s worldwide revenue potential “in a window of four weeks”.

Mangold moved to defend the Indiana Jones franchise, adding that the grosses for Dial of Destiny were “in keeping with other films of a similar ilk” released in the summer of 2022. Mangold also alluded to the fact that the Indiana Jones franchise had been “dormant for 20 years”, which may have had a bearing on its lack of pulling power.

There is a growing trend in Hollywood post-2020. Production costs have risen markedly for other releases such as Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One and Fast X. When factoring in the additional costs for publicity and marketing, it’s clear that recent movies have to gross more just to break even let alone reach profitability.

In recent weeks, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was released on 4K Blu-ray and is also available to stream on-demand on Disney+