Harrison Ford Is Wowed By the De-Aging Technology in 'Indiana Jones 5,' Too

Forty years later and there's really only one guy who can pull off a fedora. That man (read: Harrison Ford) is now 80 years old, however, meaning that he's a bit limited when it comes to doing his own stunts. New technologies have been able to digitally de-age older actors, like Robert De Niro in The Irishman and Sigourney Weaver in Avatar: The Way of the Water. but their stilted movements can be glaringly obvious. (Unless, of course, you replace their entire bodies with Na'vi!)

And yet, in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the fifth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise, Harrison Ford is de-aged to fight a castle full of Nazis. “I wanted an ambitious movie to be the last one,” Ford explained, in Esquire's Summer 2023 cover story. “And I don’t mean that we didn’t make ambitious movies before—they were ambitious in many different ways. But not necessarily as ambitious with the character as I wanted the last one to be.”

The film—out June 30th—recently premiered at Cannes Film Festival to a five-minute standing ovation, as Ford's career was celebrated with an honorary Palme d'Or. "I’m very moved by this," Ford told the audience, according to Variety. "They say when you’re about to die, you see your life flash before your eyes, and I just saw my life flash before my eyes. A great part of my life, but not all of my life... I’m grateful." Later, he told reporters about how amazed he was at the de-aging technology used to make him look half his age throughout the film. "It’s not a kind of Photoshop magic—that’s what I looked like 35 years ago," he said. "Because Lucasfilm has every frame of film that we’ve made together over all of these years. And this process, this scientific mining of this library, this was put to good [use]."

Backed by Empire, old footage of Ford as Indy was reportedly used to make the scenes more believable, as well as the original jacket and wardrobe from Raiders in 1981. "This is the first time I’ve seen [the technology] where I believe it," the actor revealed. "It’s a little spooky. I don’t think I even want to know how it works, but it works." Check out the trailer, then join us for a breakdown of everything we know about Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Is Ford's Last Appearance As the Character

At an emotional D23 Expo presentation earlier this year, Ford confirmed that Indiana Jones and the Dial Of Destiny will be his last run as the titular character. "I’m very proud to say that this one is fantastic," he told an energetic crowd, marking a full 14 years since we've last seen him reprise the role. Ford later reiterated that this would be his final appearance at Cannes when reporters asked again, responding: "Is it not evident? I need to sit down and rest a little bit." Though we won't see Indy No. 5 until June 23, 2023, there's still a ton of information out there about what the film has in store, including a next-level cast, some interesting shooting locations, the man in khaki himself, and even a plot point that might involve the 1969 moon landing.

Ford Does His Own Stunts in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Even though Ford is de-aged in Dial of Destiny, the actor continued to do his own stunts. In one scene, Ford rides a horse through a subway platform in Manhattan. As he finished the stunt, Ford tells Esquire, a group of workers rushed to his aid. “I thought, 'What the fuck?'” he recalled. “Like, I was being attacked by gropers. I look down and there’s three stunt guys there making sure I didn’t fall off the stirrup. They said, ‘Oh, we were just afraid because we thought, you know, and bah bah bah bah.” In response, Ford said, “Leave me the fuck alone, I’m an old man... leave me alone, I’m an old man getting off a horse, and I want it to look like that!”

In another scene, Indiana Jones fights with the villain on a moving train. Ford suggested his character hold his hat over the villain's face before punching him, but when Ford tried to demonstrate the move, he tore his shoulder muscle. Production was shut down for two weeks due to the injury, and it took Ford six weeks to recover. While speaking with Esquire, the actor reflected on the incident and his past on-set injuries. Ford is known as a fearless actor, but he explained that his can-do attitude comes at a cost. “I’m also known for shutting movies down because I get hurt, which is not something you want to be known for,” he said. “But hey, shit happens.”

Indiana Jones Struggles Throughout Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

We won’t spoil too much about the film, but you should know that Indiana Jones isn’t his best self in the first half. That unexpected twist, however, is why Ford agreed to the project. “That’s why I wanted to do the movie,” he told Esquire. “I wanted to know what happened to him and how he handled it. [Director James] Mangold and I worked closely together, on that scene especially. Waking up in my underwear with the empty glass in my hand was my idea. I wanted to see Indiana Jones at a nadir point and rebuild him from the ground up.”

No, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Didn't Film Any Alternate Endings

Mangold recently shut down claims about having to film alternate endings to the film. In response to the rumors, Mangold tweeted, “So I took a [birthday] break from trolls. But it seems I gotta once again say...We’re not shooting and never shot any new scenes or ‘alternate endings.’ Our film is 99% finished, getting rated by MPAA & VFX being completed. Happy Holidays!”

One snippy commenter called Mangold's tweet “bullshit,” which prompted the director to clear the air again. “Well, Anthony, it is so kind of you to call me bullshit but I made ‘Logan’ and ‘Ford v Ferrari’ and ‘Indiana Jones 5’ and it didn’t happen on any of them,” he wrote. “I can only speak to my experiences. Be well.” So, there you have it.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Features a Loaded Team

Ford will be joined by Mads Mikkelsen, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Boyd Holbrook, Shaunette Renée Wilson, and Thomas Kretschmann, John Rhys-Davies, as well as the newly announced Antonio Banderas. The Indiana Jones franchise finale will also be produced under the Disney umbrella, following its acquisition of LucasFilm. What does that mean for the production? Not as much as you'd think, but there is one major change. Logan and Ford v Ferrari director James Mangold will be taking over directing duties from Steven Spielberg.

This marks the first time since the franchise's 1981 debut that someone other than Spielberg will be directing. However, he is still firmly attached to the project in a producing role. "I don't know if I'll make you happy," Mangold previously wrote on Twitter, but my team and I will knock ourselves out trying to make something good... Maybe, just maybe, I won't let you down." In case that makes you a bit nervous, the Indiana Jones music buffs will be happy to hear that John Williams, the composer who has been behind the series since day one, will return. "Indiana Jones movies are about mystery and adventure, but they’re also about heart,” Ford said at the trailer presentation. "We have a really human story to tell, as well as a movie that will kick your ass."

Who is Harrison Ford Fighting? Nazis, Of Course.

Along with the trailer, we saw confirmation that Mads Mikkelsen will star as one of the film's Nazi villains. But no one has revealed the exact plot of the upcoming film, though photos from the set revealed that filming took place, at least in part, at a castle in England. Photogs also captured a replica SS motorbike on set, which looks pretty badass if we say so ourselves. Even more, it looks like the new Indy flick might feature a plot point about the moon landing. A batch of set photos released in early July showed a sign that says, “Welcome Home Armstrong, Aldrin, Collins,” which hints that a scene in the film could take place during the welcome parade for the Apollo 11 astronauts in New York City. "I had the time of my life making this movie," Phoebe Waller-Bridge told the roaring D23 audience. "I feel so incredibly lucky and keeping up with this guy is exhausting. These films mean a lot to me as well and Jim [Mangold] you have protected and brought back everything people want and need from these films. I cannot wait for you to see it!”

One last reminder, people: the whip-cracking sensation Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will hit theaters next summer, on June 30, 2023.

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