Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny 2023: 6 lesser-known facts about the Harrison Ford film

Hollywood legend Harrison Ford returns as the iconic swashbuckling adventurer Indiana Jones or Indy in the fifth instalment of the franchise. An archaeologist, professor and full-time explorer, Indy is often dubbed a grave-digger who inevitably finds himself in near-death situations as he takes on fierce adversaries to retrieve objects of immense cultural and historical significance.

Directed by James Mangold, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, is set to release in theatres on the 29th of June in India. So for today’s Now You Know, we take a look at some of the lesser-known facts about the film.

1. The film’s first script reportedly featured several jokes aimed at Indiana’s age. However, lead star Harrison Ford asked them to be removed as he felt that it would distract the audience from the film’s immersive experience. Well, we feel the jabs would've also been a tad ageist if not entirely insensitive and it was a good call to nip them in the bud.
2. As many fans of the franchise would already know, this film was scheduled to release in 2021 to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the first film, Raiders of the Lost Ark. However, the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with a few injuries Ford suffered during production, delayed the film – eventually pushing it back by two years.
3. Steven Spielberg was vehemently opposed to the idea of using digital de-aging technology on Harrison Ford for the film, all the way back in 2012, when the plans for a fifth film were being discussed. However, the technology has significantly improved since 2012, and it appears new director James Mangold does not feel as strongly about de-ageing technology as Speilberg did. Ford confirmed that de-ageing technology is used in the film for flashback sequences, in an interview with late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert.
4. In the trailer, Indiana appears to be wearing a gold wedding band. It could be a hint that he is still married to Karen Allen’s character Marion. Even though Allen did not feature in any of the trailers, she is listed as a cast member.
5. The film’s primary antagonist, Jürgen Voller, is played by Mads Mikkelsen. His character is reportedly modelled after Wernher von Braun, a former Nazi who was among the 1600 ex-Nazi scientists who were brought to the United States to work on the top secret government program called Operation Paperclip. Wernher von Braun served as director of the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and was instrumental in the US winning the ‘space race’ during the Cold War. There are even theories as to whether the German scientists, including von Braun, were truly ‘former Nazis’ and if they ever truly stopped believing in the principles of the Third Reich. Ironically, it is a Disney TV show that showcased von Braun as an American hero, and the Indiana Jones franchise is owned by Disney, with its latest film featuring a villain inspired by von Braun.
6. Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who is best known for helming Killing Eve and as the star and showrunner of Fleabag, essays the role of Indy’s goddaughter Helena Shaw. Her character has essentially replaced Shia LaBeouf’s character, Mutt, Indy’s estranged son from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Director James Mangold revealed that he based Waller-Bridge’s character on Barbara Stanwyck’s character Jean Harrington from the 1941 film The Lady Eve.

Well that's the Now you know episode for today on OTTplay, until the next one it's your host Nikhil signing out.

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• Written by Ryan Gomez