Box Office: ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ Cursed With $60M Domestic Opening

Pamela McClintock
·3 min read
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Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny dug up an estimated $60 million in its domestic debut, a troubled start for the fifth and final installment in the famed adventure-action series starring Harrison Ford.

The hope now is that the Disney and Lucasfilm tentpole will hold in well, beginning this week as Americans celebrate the July Fourth holiday. The movie, directed by James Mangold, should finish Tuesday with a domestic total of $82 million.

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Overseas, the movie launched to $70 million for a lackluster global start of $130 million. The U.K. led with $8.9 million. France — where Dial of Destiny made its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival — was No. 2, followed by Japan ($4.7 million), South Korea ($4.1 million) and Germany ($4.1 million). The pic bombed in China, however, with $2.3 million.

For Dial of Destiny, the challenge has always been about attracting new, younger fans in addition to those who grew up on the franchise. The movie, which suffered a series of delays, cost a hefty $295 million to make before marketing.

As it stood, the movie’s opening weekend audience skewed notably older, with 42 percent of tickets going to people 45 and up, including 23 percent 55 and older. That’s a breakdown rarely seen when it comes to a Hollywood summer tentpole. Even before the pandemic, older moviegoers weren’t known for rushing out to see a movie on opening weekend. The pic also skewed notably male (58 percent). On Saturday, families started turning up.

The filmmakers had hoped for a domestic launch closer to $65 million, but a B+ CinemaScore and tepid reviews are likely hampering word of mouth. One bright spot is the 88 percent positive audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Dial of Destiny is a sequel to 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which posted an impressive three-day debut of $100 million. Crystal Skull, like the first three Indy films, was directed by Steven Spielberg.

The Indiana Jones movie series once again sees Harrison Ford as the swashbuckling archeologist. The 80-year-old actor stars opposite Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Ethann Isidore and Mads Mikkelsen. (Spielberg helmed each of the previous four Indy films.)

Keeping the film series’ ongoing Nazi theme alive, Dial of Destiny’s storyline revolves around an ancient device being chased by Jones and a villain played by Mikkelsen.

Also opening over the pre-July Fourth weekend is DreamWorks Animation and Universal’s Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken, which bombed with an estimated $5.2 million. The family pic came in No. 6. Overseas, Teenage Kraken opened to $7.6 million for a global start of $12.8 million.

Among holdovers, Sony’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse swung past the $600 million mark worldwide. The animated superhero pic placed No. 2 domestically with $11.5 million for a domestic total of $339.9 million. Overseas, it hit $267.4 million for a global total of $607.3 million.

Pixar and Disney’s Elemental continued to show legs after a troubled start, placing No. 3 domestically with $11.3 million for a North American total of $88.8 million. Overseas, where it continues to roll out, earned $29.8 million for a foreign tally of $98 million and $186.8 million worldwide.

Sony’s R-rated raunchy comedy No Hard Feelings, starring Jennnifer Lawrence, tumbled 50 percent in its second weekend to $7.5 million for a domestic total of $29.3 million and $49.3 million worldwide.

Paramount’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts rounded out the top five with $7 million domestically as the pic hit $381.3 million worldwide.

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