Indiana Jones and the Dial of Fate: Harrison Ford, Mads Mikkelsen and more share their thoughts

Under the banner “If adventure has a name, it must be Indiana Jones,” the franchise returns with one last adventure, in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Fate (41%), which promises to excite fans.

In an exclusive interview with Total Film, Harrison Ford, who has declared this will be his last performance as the iconic archaeologist, discussed what it was like to put on the hat once again and crack the whip.

Indiana Jones and The Dial of Fate: James Mangold denies being part of any agenda or conspiracy

After the controversial release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (78%) in 2008, many doubted the continuity of the veteran actor for future projects, but Harrison Ford, No. The interpreter appreciates the work of “Jim”, as he calls James Mangold, the director of this latest installment, because thanks to his writing work, the film assumes complexity and many nuances, moving it away from children’s jokes.

Acclaimed for films such as Contra lo Impossible (94%) and Johnny & June: Passion and Madness (82%), Mangold was responsible for taking the reins of the franchise, after four installments by Steven Spielberg. However, this precedent did not prevent the project from being far from Berg, as Ford calls Steven, because according to his words, “Steven’s influence is present throughout the film… [y] not in a bad way!”.

James Mangold, for his part, already has experience taking on the direction of iconic characters later in their careers, as he did with Hugh Jackman in Logan (93%)

But following in Spielberg’s footsteps was a unique challenge. Mangold expressed his excitement, saying, “We’re following the legacy of something you built with Spielberg many years ago. We have an ongoing dialogue. In fact, I always say that I’ve been learning from him, even before I met him personally. Before, I was making movies. in Super 8 and studied every take of their films. This film is an opportunity to meet your heroes on an equal footing and to collaborate with them… it’s like a dream come true!”.

Even for seasoned actors like Mads Mikkelsen, stepping into the world of Indiana Jones was like a dream come true

Mikkelsen shared a personal anecdote about this: When I was 15 years old, I rented a box of movies with my brother. There were five movies in the box, but we only saw one: 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, the first time Ford played Indiana Jones. We didn’t see the others. We only saw that movie. And who could blame us?

In Indiana Jones and the Dial of Fate, the story follows an aging Indiana in 1969 New York

where he lectures to disinterested students who don’t appreciate his vast knowledge. It seems the adventuring days are behind him, until his goddaughter Helena (played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge) turns up looking for an artifact known as the Archimedean Dial, which can point to cracks in time. Together, traveling to places like Morocco and Greece, accompanied by Helena’s partner, Teddy (played by Etthan Isidore).

Although Indiana Jones has faced off against the Nazis on several occasions throughout the franchise, since Raiders of the Lost Ark (95%) when he fought against them for the Ark of the Covenant. However, in this installment, he will face an even more terrifying adversary: ​​Voller, played by Mads Mikkelsen. Mikkelsen describes his character as someone with a passion and a dream to change the world for the better, just like Indy. However, Voller’s plans with the Dial are too dangerous and could have catastrophic consequences for world peace.

Harrison Ford believes that Indiana Jones’ hatred of Nazis must have real roots

and that is reflected in his character. “Some of what Jim and I discussed before we started the movie, which found its way both into the movie and into a line of dialogue, is that ‘I’ve seen a lot of things in my life that I can’t explain,'” Ford shared. In addition, Ford expresses his frustration at current situations, such as the Russian invasion of the Ukraine, and his inability to understand why the world allows such atrocities to begin without doing anything about it.

Regarding Steven Spielberg’s opinion on the final cut of the film, director James Mangold reports that Spielberg was very happy with the result. Spielberg was involved in the production process, visiting the set and reviewing filming diaries. Mangold mentions that Spielberg thought this film was the least politically complicated in which he has been involved.