Few celebrations of Steven Spielberg's career are complete without bringing up the Indiana Jones franchise, as the initial trilogy of action-adventure classics have inspired generations. Everyone has a favorite film, and moments they either love or dislike, including the actors who starred in the movies. Harrison Ford recently dished about the Indiana Jones scene that Sean Connery not only disliked, but that made him a ‘little grumpy.’

When Ford sat down to discuss Spielberg’s works with Vulture, the topic obviously came around to all of the Indiana Jones movies. Connery played Ford's father in the third film, The Last Crusade, so when that movie came up, the actor happily shared some BTS scoop, saying:

This world has remained popular, with an additional two films, such as the nostalgic Dial of Destiny. But it all started when Spielberg told his good friend George Lucas about his dream project: a James Bond film with Sean Connery. The iconic actor passed away in 2020, and was well-known for his portrayal of Bond, James Bond.

While Lucas couldn’t make that particular dream come true, he did have an idea for an archeologist that was set in the 1930s. Initially, the studio didn’t want to deal with Spielberg who had a reputation for going over budget. But they relented, and it was right choice. I couldn’t imagine the franchise having gone into anyone else’s hands. He directed the first four films in the franchise, each of which can be watched can be watched with a Disney+ subscription.

And Spielberg did - sort of - live out his dream with the third film, The Last Crusade. The father-son relationship was created after screenwriter Menno Meyjes pitched the idea of the holy grail to Lucas. The scribe shared:

No conversation about Indiana Jones can happen without bringing up The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which received mixed feelings from critics and fans. Several weren’t sure about the concept of Indie with ‘aliens.’ Though the film had a dimension bent on this that was a little different. However, many still enjoyed it and have defended the film, saying there aren’t any bad Indiana Jones films.

Even Ford reportedly struggled during The Last Crusade, as he and Spielberg weren’t fully on board with doing another sci-fi movie. However, without the fourth, fans wouldn’t have gotten a fifth, which gave Ford the ending he wanted. He didn’t want Crystal Skull to be the last of Indie’s adventures.

While the marketing of the fifth presented as the ending, we also thought Indiana Jones was going to be a trilogy. If the franchise ever did return, I'd immediately sign up if Ke Huy Quan were to return. The actor has recently gone full Short Round by taking the 'character' to the Disneyland ride.

This gave us a minor taste of what Indiana Jones would be like if we saw Indie’s former protege putting on his hat. And I am fully obsessed with the idea. But is there any real chance we'll see the franchise return?

Disclosure Day’s box office debut last weekend started Steven Spielberg's latest on a winning note, but it has since become one of the more polarizing releases to be on the 2026 movie schedule. It feels like those who went to see it either were getting chills over its third act or asking themselves if anything actually happened in the movie. While I fall in the camp of someone who really enjoyed it, I want to talk about why it made me think about Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull lately.

The 2008 sequel is famously criticized for not being as good as the other movies in the franchise, but honestly, I don’t think it’s as bad as everyone thinks it is – it’s just not as great as the original trilogy. Anyways, the ending of Disclosure Day particularly has me thinking about Indiana Jones 4. Let’s get into it.

Remember The Alien Scene In Indiana Jones 4?

While Spielberg, Harrison Ford and screenwriter David Koepp reportedly were never fully on board with aliens being in the movie, Indiana Jones 4 very much has them like Disclosure Day. Aside from them both being directed by Spielberg from a script by Koepp, and involving aliens, there's more to it.

At their bare bones, the two films revolve around a piece of alien evidence that one group has and another group very much would like to have instead. In Indiana Jones 4, it’s Indy vs. the Soviets led by a particularly goofy Cate Blanchett performance. But what you may not remember is that the Crystal Skull involves a telepathic element that leads the humans of the story to connect with the aliens in the story. Sounding familiar yet?

Ultimately, both groups end up at a temple where they return the Crystal Skull to a skeleton inside, triggering aliens from another dimension to appear. The extraterrestrial ends up transferring way too much knowledge to Blanchett’s Soviet agent character, effectively overloading her brain and killing her. Indy and his crew quickly escape the temple, and a flying saucer rises from the ruins and returns to the otherworldly place they came from.

Disclosure Day's Finale Reminds Me Of It, But Better

This brings me to Disclosure Day. Both movies play with the idea of aliens, but whereas Indiana Jones 4 does so with a more basic “good vs. evil” plotline about tech from another world potentially falling into the wrong hands, Spielberg's new movie is weighing something else. What if our present-day world had definite proof of the existence of aliens and the world got to discover it together? Both movies only really take us to the discovery stage of extraterrestrial life, and stop there. But where I felt empty with Indiana Jones, I felt fed with Disclosure Day.

There's an added thought-provoking element that had me imagining how our world would change should everyone at the same time get the kind of moment usually only reserved for larger-than-life heroes like Indiana Jones. It had me thinking about humanity and the ways in which we have the great power to both come together and tear things apart. I didn’t need more from Disclosure Day, because it gave me enough to ponder about ourselves, whereas I feel like in The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull I would have been a lot more satisfied if Indy got to talk to an alien for a bit, ya know?

Ultimately, it feels like the same filmmakers unintentionally played with a very similar concept, just 18 years apart, and found a way to ultimately explore it better through Disclosure Day. As someone who liked Spielberg's latest movie, I'm more grateful for Kingdom of the Crystal Skull now that I've made these connections.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has always been the weird artifact in the Indy franchise museum. It was not a critical disaster when it opened in 2008, and it made real money. But for a lot of fans, the movie became the entry point they cite when they talk about the franchise losing the magic that made Raiders of the Lost Ark, and its wonderful sequels, Temple of Doom and The Last Crusade, feel so alive. And, according to a new oral history, Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg were never fully on board with the planned project.

Ahead of his 2026 movie release, Disclosure Day, Vulture dropped a massive oral history of Steven Spielberg’s career that adds useful context for why the fourth Indy movie may have felt so uneasy. The short version: according to Kathleen Kennedy, neither the director nor the star was fully sold on the direction George Lucas wanted to take the story, even while the movie was being made.

The Fourth Indiana Jones Movie Had A Sci-Fi Problem From The Start

The first three Indiana Jones movies were supernatural, but they were not really science fiction. The Ark of the Covenant, the Sankara stones and the Holy Grail all fit the franchise’s dusty adventure-serial DNA. Crystal Skull moved Indy into the 1950s, which meant Lucas wanted to pull from flying saucer paranoia and War of the Worlds-style sci-fi.

That is where the creative fight apparently began. Kennedy said Crystal Skull was especially difficult for cinematographer Janusz Kamiński, but the bigger issue was that Ford and Spielberg did not want Indy’s return to involve aliens, despite the director's clear fascination with them. As she put it:

Lucas remembered the disagreement similarly. He argued:

Calling it a compromise is sort of hilarious when you think about how the movie turned out, because for all intents and purposes, even in their design and how they function, the creatures are obviously aliens. But the compromise may explain why the movie has always felt as if it were arguing with itself.

Harrison Ford Has Defended Crystal Skull Before

The Blade Runner actor has not spent the years since trashing the movie. He even fired back at critics of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ahead of Dial of Destiny, pushing back against detractors he felt were applying their own rules to what the movie should have been.

The franchise’s leading man acknowledged that Crystal Skull was not as successful as everyone had hoped, and sure, the movie was divisive. However, critics did not universally pan it; it even holds a 77% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Still, even Ford’s defense reads differently in light of Kennedy’s comments. Kennedy also connected that creative unease to Ford’s return for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. She said:

That tracks with how Dial of Destiny was sold, as a final emotional chapter for Indy rather than just another franchise lap. Whether Dial of Destiny fully worked is its own debate, and fans still have plenty to say about the de-aged Indiana opening sequence and how it ended Indiana Jones’ story. But Kennedy’s comments make Ford’s return feel less like a victory lap and more like unfinished business.

George Lucas Has No Hard Feelings

Lucas, for his part, seemed amused by how the whole thing landed. He said:

The funniest part is that both the Oscar-nominated actor and Oscar-winning filmmaker later circled back to sci-fi anyway. Spielberg continued exploring aliens and futuristic worlds, and Ford eventually returned to sci-fi through projects such as Cowboys and Aliens and Blade Runner 2049. Fans can revisit the Indy films with a Paramount+ subscription and also see him in another late-career franchise role in 1923.

That is the strange legacy of Crystal Skull. It was not just that fans resisted the aliens. According to people close to the production, Ford and the E.T. director were uneasy about them, too. For a franchise built on impossible escapes, that may be the one trap even Indiana Jones could not quite outrun.

As for Spielberg, he has once again returned to the world of aliens. His latest film, Disclosure Day, stars Emily Blunt, Colin Firth and Colman Domingo and explores the mass panic and global stakes that follow the ultimate proof of extraterrestrial life. The film landed in theaters today, June 12.

When it comes to certain iconic movie characters, it’s hard to imagine any other actor in that role. Jim Carrey as Truman Burbank, Robin Williams as the Genie, and Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark are some examples that come to mind. Of course, one of the most universally agreed on is Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, but a key fact is that Tom Selleck had the part before Ford was even a consideration. Raiders of the Lost Ark director Steven Spielberg recently explained why Selleck had to drop one of the biggest movies of the ‘80s, and how they eventually landed on Ford.

Spielberg’s latest film, Disclosure Day, may be premiering this month as part of the 2026 movie schedule, but he recently threw it back to the early movies of his career in a conversation with Michelle Obama and her brother, Craig Robinson, for their podcast, IMO. Obama asked the Jurassic Park director about his biggest casting karma (or the actors that got away). Harrison Ford has jokingly in the past thanked Selleck for dropping out of Indiana Jones, but Spielberg revealed that wasn’t exactly what happened:

Spielberg told his hosts how good Selleck’s screen test was, so it doesn’t surprise me that the Blue Bloods actor had two era-defining projects fighting over him. Selleck previously discussed his frustration and disappointment in being forced out of Indiana Jones, even though Magnum P.I. ended up being huge for his career.

I mean, speaking of perfect casting, can you imagine any other mustached man wearing that iconic Hawaiian shirt? The Saving Private Ryan director revealed he would have had Selleck shave the iconic stache to play the legendary whip-cracking archaeologist.

Regardless, Selleck’s CBS contract left George Lucas, who created Indiana Jones, and Spielberg back at square one, but it decidedly was the perfect twist of fate. Around the same time, The Fablemans director went to a private pre-screening of The Empire Strikes Back, where he apparently found the man fated to wear the iconic fedora. As Spielberg recalled:

It’s the age-old question when it comes to Harrison Ford’s iconic roles: who’s better, Han Solo or Indiana Jones? I’m sure Lucas was considering the chances of Indiana Jones stealing away his fan-favorite Star Wars renegade but, eventually, he must have decided Ford could handle both franchises, and thank God he did. Spielberg said with Lucas’ blessing, it was pretty much a done deal:

Ford reflected on getting that call from Lucas, with a little more urgency than Spielberg let on. The Blade Runner actor said Lucas called him to let him know he was sending a script over, and asked Ford to read it in an hour. Presumably, based on Spielberg's comments, Lucas called the Spielberg the same day, telling him Ford was accepting the role as Indy.

It almost sounds like Lucas made the decision for the Air Force One actor but, if George Lucas told me to take a movie role, he wouldn’t need to say it twice. In hindsight, it was probably the second best decision Ford ever made, after agreeing to play Han Solo, and the Patriot Games actor has credited Lucas for his early career before.

To be clear, I wholeheartedly trust Steven Spielberg and have no doubt Tom Selleck would have made a great whip-slinging, Nazi-fighting adventurer. However, it wouldn’t be the Indy we’ve come to know and love. Harrison Ford brought a certain scrappy charm to the character, a quality he showed in Han Solo and carried over throughout the entire Indiana Jones franchise. On that note, can relive all Indy’s best adventures with a Disney+ subscription.

There is a popular theory surrounding Raiders of the Lost Ark that began with an episode of The Big Bang Theory, an episode called "The Raiders Minimization," which you can watch with an HBO Max subscription. It postulates that Indiana Jones and his actions are completely irrelevant to the final outcome of the movie. Basically, that despite all that Indy does in the movie, none of it matters because in the end, Belloq and the Nazis would have found the Ark, opened it, and had their faces melted off whether Indy was with them or not.

It’s a sound theory, but I disagree with it. In fact, it’s worse. What if Indiana Jones unwittingly helped World War II happen? Here’s why I think he could have.

Indy Pushed The Villains So Hard That They Opened The Ark Too Soon

As is made clear in the movie, there are Nazis all over the world looking for ancient artifacts, most notably the Ark of the Covenant, which Hitler believes will make the Germans unstoppable on the battlefield. Everyone knows the story of the best Indiana Jones movie, so I won’t bore you with a full recap, but the important part is that the Germans (and Belloq) have competition. Belloq is, of course, taking the chase very personally. He has a professional and personal rivalry with Indy and, as Indy points out, the Frenchman is in the chase for glory and power.

The Nazis that Belloq is working with have a very clear mission: to bring the Ark back to their leader. Their goal throughout the movie is to get the artifact and return to Berlin with it. This turns out to be at odds with Belloq, and that comes to a head when Belloq, who I think we can safely say was driven in large part by his rivalry with Indy, opens the Ark in the desert, before getting it back to Germany. The Nazis don’t want to do this, but they go along for the time being, and as a reward, they get their faces melted off.

What If Belloq Wasn’t So Rash After His Back And Forth With Indy?

This brings us back to the original theory from The Big Bang Theory. The rebuttal to the theory is that at multiple points along the way, Indy is crucial in driving the search (and the plot) forward, including actually finding the Ark himself, before Belloq et al. steal it from him while he's stuck in the Well of Souls. Sure, they might have found it without Indy’s discovery of the Staff of Ra and all that, but every time Indy beats Belloq, it makes him angrier. So, what if Indy hadn’t been there and the Nazis had found it, but returned to Berlin before opening it?

There is an argument to make that Indy’s presence was indeed crucial to the plot of the movie, but was also unwittingly pushing Belloq to the brink, forcing his rival to make a rash decision and open the Ark before it could be done in the presence of The Führer. Had things gone differently, maybe Hitler’s face would have been melted off, and World War II would never have happened.

Either way, Indiana Jones was crucial to the plot of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Just use your Disney+ subscription to watch it if you don't believe me.

Disneyland is supposed to be the happiest place on Earth and while thousands of people have wonderful experiences every day, there are times when things do not go well. Then there are the times when things go really, really badly, as they did for one family at the park earlier this week after one man was reportedly assaulted by another in line for the Indiana Jones Adventure.

A Fight Broke Out In The Line For Indiana Jones Adventure

On the same day that the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular went haywire and injured a Cast Member, there was also an assault in line at the Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland. According to KTLA, as well as posts on Reddit, one family was waiting in line while another person began to cut through the line, purportedly to catch up to another family. A series of Reddit posts lay out that a father said something to the people cutting through the line, which resulted in the person who was cutting hitting the man who said something.

A brawl of about 30 seconds ensued, though based on reports, it appears that the man who was attacked did not so much as throw a punch. Other guests intervened to stop the fight, but not before leaving the attacked man with a serious scar.

The attacking man and his family apparently left Disneyland shortly after the fight. The Anaheim Police have not apprehended the man, but they claim to have “strong leads” regarding the person’s identity and believe he is a Southern California resident.

According to a Reddit post, which is apparently from the wife of the attacked man, her husband did not engage in the fight specifically to avoid being mislabeled as the aggressor, as well as to prevent his family from being kicked out of or banned from Disneyland. As hard as not fighting might be, that makes a lot of sense, as the person who started swinging, if he is apprehended, will almost certainly be banned from the park.

Fights at Disney Parks Aren’t Common, But They Do Happen

This is far from the only time a fight has broken out in a Disney theme park, or even the first time we’ve seen violence stem from line cutting. A few years back, an alleged line cutting situation at Magic Kingdom led to two families throwing fists at Magic Kingdom, and nothing has quite felt more out of place than a fistfight in Mickey’s Toontown at Disneyland.

You can be assured of a lifetime ban from Disneyland for a situation like this. Anything that causes a disturbance for other guests, never mind injury, can result in such a punishment. Lifetime bans from Disney Parks can be lifted, but it requires those banned to send letters of apology to request the ban be lifted.

According to the wife of the victim on Reddit, Disneyland Cast Members rose to the occasion, providing some medical attention and otherwise making the ordeal the best experience they could under the circumstances. There is reportedly no concussion, and other than the scars, it appears there’s no lasting damage.

Considering the sheer volume of live entertainment that goes on at Walt Disney World, it’s sort of remarkable how much of it goes off every day without a problem. Unfortunately, yesterday, during a performance of the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the worst sort of accident took place, which very nearly resulted in significant injury to many guests in attendance had it not been for a Cast Member with an Indiana Jones level of heroism.

A Disney World Cast Member Prevented Serious Injury To Guests

The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular at Disney’s Hollywood Studios has been running since August 1989, only three months after the park opened. It recreates several set pieces from Raiders of the Lost Ark, including the famous shot of Indy running from a rolling boulder. During a performance of the show yesterday, however, the boulder jumped its track and went bouncing toward the audience, and it would have hit the crowd had another Cast Member working the show not jumped in front of it.

The incident was captured on video and posted to TikTok before being shared by theme park reporter and friend Scott Gustin.

The “boulder” is made of rubber, but it still weighs 400 pounds, according to Walt Disney World. It certainly would have caused some injuries to the guests had it not been stopped. Needless to say, the man who stopped it is an absolute hero, and while he didn’t walk away without injuries himself, he is reportedly doing ok.

The Injured Cast Member Is Reportedly In Recovery

As Scott Gustin reported, the Disney Cast member seen being hit by the boulder received immediate care. Another Disney Cast member later posted to X that the man who put his body on the line is named James (last name currently unknown), and that he received six stitches from the impact and is currently in the hospital, but he seems to be otherwise ok.

The Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular is running on schedule today, though it’s reportedly happening without the boulder stunt while Disney World investigates the incident. Given the fact that the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular has been running nearly continuously for more than 35 years, there are frequent rumors that it might get replaced. A new Indiana Jones attraction is coming to Disney's Animal Kingdom, with construction slated to begin in early 2026 following the closing of the current Dinosaur ride.

There is no Cast Member compliment big enough to show just how far above and beyond James went to ensure that guests at the show were safe. I hope the man has a speedy recovery and receives a hero’s welcome from his fellow Disney World Cast Members when he gets out of the hospital.

I'm still having trouble computing that 2026 gets underway this week. While the new calendar year hopefully means wonderful things for you personally, it certainly means new and (hopefully) wonderful things for your favorite streaming platform. There are plenty of new series and new movies coming to streaming this month, and here’s just a little of what to keep an eye out for.

Stranger Things 5: The Finale - December 31 (Netflix)

The end is finally here. After five seasons and nearly 10 years, one of the biggest hits of the streaming era finally reaches the end of the tunnel. The final episode of Stranger Things, which comes in at over two hours in length, will be available with your Netflix subscription, unless you’re taking the opportunity to watch it in theaters instead. Either way you may want to stay off social media until you see it, as fans will certainly have opinions about how this one ends.

New Year’s Eve Celebrations - December 31 (Various Platforms)

If you’re not going out to celebrate the New Year in person, then you’ll likely want to celebrate on TV. All the major networks have their own New Year’s special, and most of them will be available streaming live, as well. Your HBO Max subscription will get you access to the CNN New Year’s show with Anderson Cooper. A Paramount+ subscription gets you access to CBS’ country-themed special. NBC’s show will be simulcast with a Peacock subscription.

Indiana Jones Franchise - January 1 (Disney+)

The constantly changing face of media today, with massive mergers happening, and every major company having its own streaming platform, means content can jump all over the place. Although Disney owns Lucasfilm, only the most recent Indiana Jones movie has been available with a Disney+ subscription since late last year because Paramount (which originally distributed the films) had them on its platform. That changes January 1, with the full Indiana Jones franchise being reunited on Disney+.

Tell Me Lies, Season 3 - January 3 (Hulu)

Romantic drama has proven to be a solid win for series on streaming services, with everything from Maxton Hall to The Summer I Turned Pretty bringing in audiences. Tell Me Lies returns early in 2026 for its third season, and there will surely be a lot of people tuning in for the next chapter in the toxic relationship between Lucy and Stephen. This is the show’s final season.

The new year is going to get off to a massive start based on everything coming out later this month. The next season of Bridgerton will be on Netflix. The next chapter of the MCU, Wonder Man is hitting Disney+. The next Game of Thrones spinoff, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, is scheduled to hit HBO Max. Whatever you’re looking forward to, it will be here soon.

The thing that makes many theme park attractions great is that they allow guests to experience their favorite movies in a way that’s far more immersive than anything we could see on a screen. Of course, one then has to wonder what it’s like for somebody who was actually in the movie to begin with. Now we know after Ke Huy Quan’s recent trip to Disneyland with his Zootopia 2 co-star Ginnifer Goodwin.

Quan and Goodwin previously appeared in a Disney Parks Instagram video revealing that the Zootopia character Clawhauser was being added to photo ops at Disney California Adventure. A new video just dropped that shows that the pair also made it over to Disneyland, and went on the Indiana Jones Adventure attraction, one of the best Disneyland rides, together, and Ke Huy Quan even brought the right hat for the ride. Check it out.

I love everything about this, and I have to believe Dr. Jones would also approve. The only disappointing part is that “Short Round” didn’t wear his hat during the ride. I’m sure the Cast Member told him to remove it so it wouldn’t fall off during the attraction, but it’s just not quite as fun.

Until Ke Huy Quan made his return to the screen in Everything Everywhere All At Once, he was likely best known for his role as Indiana Jones' sidekick in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. It’s still a memorable performance and one of the highlights of an underrated Indiana Jones film.

Quan and Goodwin are apparently playing a “game” where they’re not supposed to react throughout the ride. Guests are part of an expedition that enters the Temple of the Forbidden Eye, after Indiana Jones had already done so, but had not returned. The ride vehicles come face to face with snakes, bugs, poison darts, and more, while also spying Indy at various points on the attraction.

Quan apparently loses the “game” because he admits he did react when a jet of compressed air, meant to simulate a dart being fired from a wall, hit him in the head. If you don’t know it’s there, it’s difficult not to react to it when you’re hit by a blast of air from the side.

While Short Round may not be part of the Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland, there’s always a chance that he might appear in the new attraction. A new Indiana Jones ride, which is set to use the same ride design as the Disneyland version but tell a new story, is set to replace Dinosaur at Disney’s Animal Kingdom as part of the new Tropical Americas land. That transformation is set to begin early next year. Hopefully, Quan will return with his hat to ride it.

Ke Huy Quan is in the midst of a powerful career renaissance. Winning the Best Supporting Oscar for his remarkable turn in Everything Everywhere All At Once has opened the door to some great opportunities – a list not limited to a major role in the second season of the acclaimed Marvel Cinematic Universe series Loki and voicing a key character in the new Walt Disney Animation studios movie Zootopia 2. It’s a very cool comeback for the actor who began his career as a child star… but I have also picked up on a funny irony in his project choices.

While Ke Huy Quan’s breakout role was as Indiana Jones’ buddy Short Round in Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom, his aforementioned recent project choices have seen him playing parts that recall Indy’s greatest fear: snakes. In Loki, he plays Ouroboros, who is named after an image of a serpent eating its own tail, and Zootopia 2 features him voicing a pit viper named Gary Da’Snake. I mentioned this irony when I had the chance to speak with Quan and co-star Ginnifer Goodwin at the Zootopia 2 press day earlier this month, and he laughed while acknowledging it’s a connection he himself has made. Said the actor,

To be totally fair, Indiana Jones’ fear of snakes is most prominently featured in Raiders Of The Lost Ark, but the coincidence is still fun.

And while Quan had put those pieces together, Goodwin said that she hadn’t made the connection and didn’t get it until I had brought it up:

As a bonus, Quan also made note of another special string in this fun web. In totality, this has been a great year for the Academy Award-winning actor, as in addition to Zootopia 2 arriving in theaters, he was featured in his first lead role back in February with the release of the action/romance Love Hurts. And where does the year 2025 fall in the Chinese zodiac? He told me,

Snakes are very much a big deal in Zootopia 2, as the sequel digs into the mystery of why reptiles aren’t part of the city population. The movie picks up in the immediate aftermath of the first film and sees officers Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) digging into a conspiracy that dates back to Zootopia’s foundation. With a terrific cast that also includes Andy Samberg, David Strathairn, Patrick Warburton, Fortune Feimster, and Idris Elba, the sequel arrives in cinemas everywhere tomorrow, November 26.

Few stars are as in demand in Hollywood right now as Sydney Sweeney is. Since her breakthrough with HBO’s Euphoria, Sweeney’s notoriety has been rising in a big way. That means she’s been landing her fair share of high-profile roles. Well, we can add another title to that list, as Sweeney has lined up another project – and it’s a remake of a movie that helped inspire Indiana Jones. As intriguing as this is, I really have to wonder just how Sweeney -- who has several 2025 movie schedule titles -- manages to rest in between all of these gigs.

Sydney Sweeney Is Joining A Remake Of A Classic Film

It seems Sweeney is taking her talents to Apple Original Films for That Man From Rio, which is a reimagining of Philippe de Broca’s 1964 movie of the same name. According to Deadline, the A-lister will not only star in the film but also serve as an executive producer. Directing this remake is Justin Lin, who’s best known for his work on The Fast & Furious franchise and Star Trek Beyond. Lin will helm the production from a screenplay written by Chase Palmer, who co-wrote 2017’s It and has worked on other projects as well.

The original That Man From Rio tells the story of a young military private who, while on leave, finds adventure while trying to rescue his kidnapped girlfriend. In his travels, the man ends up in the eponymous Rio de Janeiro. This witty action caper of a film received positive reviews and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay in 1965.

As noted by the trade, Philippe de Broca’s action flick also inspired the George Lucas and Steven Spielberg-crafted Indiana Jones movies, particularly in regard to the characterization of the titular character and a handful of the action sequences. It’s been noted that The Last Crusade particularly mirrors De Broca’s work in a specific way or two. As an Indy fan myself, I love this lore and can’t believe I was unaware of it before.

With that, I’m curious to see what Sydney Sweeney, Justin Lin and co. do with this remake. I just think the leading lady – whose exact role in the movie has yet to be specified – should get a bit of rest first.

Sydney Sweeney Has Seemingly Been Working A Lot Lately

Booked and busy is one of the best ways to describe Sweeney at this point in her career. By the end of 2025 alone, she’ll have marked the debuts of four titles. Earlier this year, Echo Valley and Eden (which technically hit the film festival circuit in 2024) were released. Sweeney’s most recent film – the boxing biopic Christy – is now set to hit theaters on November 7. Additionally, Sweeney is one of the leads in the book-to-screen adaptation of The Housemaid, which opens in December.

As for what Sydney Sweeney is currently working on, she’s been in the midst of filming Euphoria Season 3, which is reportedly set to premiere sometime in 2026. Sweeney’s also teaming up with a co-star from that show, Colman Domingo, as he’ll direct her and David Jonsson in a biopic about the romance between Kim Novak and Sammy Davis Jr. And did I mention that she’s also attached to headline the Barbarella remake?

I’m exhausted just listing all of the Sweeney-led productions that are on the docket. Still, I appreciate her hustle and look forward to seeing the That Man From Rio remake. Now, if you excuse me, I think I need a nap.

Movie stars are usually the biggest draw to movies for fans. They are usually who get the most credit for the popularity of a movie (as well as the blame when a movie bombs). On rare occasions, there are objects or props in movies that become just as iconic as anything else in a film. These are necessarily the best MacGuffins, sometimes they are just famous props or pieces of wardrobe. Let's get into it!

All The Dude wanted was his rug back. That simple rug, micturated upon by Woo, drives all the action in the movie, and while the audience doesn't see much of the rug that The Dude (Jeff Bridges) is trying to replace, we do see the one that he (briefly) gets from the millionaire Lebowski in the Big Lebowski.

The DeLorean Time Machine

Admit it, you wanted a DeLorean time machine. We ALL wanted one. Heck, most of us would settle for a regular DeLorean. Ever since we all went back in time with Marty and Doc in Back To The Future, we've longed for the same ability, in the same machine. Now those cars are as lost to time as Biff's Sports Almanac.

Wilson

When the only star who appears in most of a movie only has one friend and that friend is a volleyball, it's bound to be a famous prop. Wilson the Volleyball is the only companion Chuck (Tom Hanks) has in Cast Away, and just like Chuck, the audience gets pretty attached to that silly ball with a face made of Chuck's blood.

The Briefcase In Pulp Fiction

Another cool MacGuffin on this list is the briefcase from Pulp Fiction. We never actually see what's inside, just that it is glowing gold. Maybe that's why the prop has become so famous. If we knew it was just like a stolen Oscar statuette or something, we'd feel differently.

The Red And Blue Pills

While the Blue Pill and the Red Pill in The Matrix have since taken political connotations in recent years, they were famous way before that. One will wake Neo (Keanu Reeves) up, and one will put him back to sleep. Honestly, I don't care which is which, and any political connections are weird, so let's leave it at that.

One Ring To Rule Them All

Not only is The One Ring one of the most famous props in movie history, it's one of the most famous in literature these days. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is a masterpiece, and without this one ring to rule them all, it wouldn't exist.

Indy's Whip

You might say Indiana Jones' hat is the most famous prop in the Indiana Jones movies, but the whip that Harrison Ford's character is just as iconic and let's be honest, a little more interesting than a hat. So the whip gets the nod here.

The Giant Piano In Big

Any kid lucky enough to visit the FAO Schwartz in New York after Big was released, their first mission was to find the giant piano you could walk on and even play. It's one of the most iconic scenes in any movie from the era, and while I learned firsthand it was impossible for me to recreate the scene, I still dream about getting a big enough piano to make it work.

Thor's Hammer

There are a lot of famous props in the MCU, like ranking the MCU movies, we could almost do a list of props all its own. Things like the Infinity Gauntlet, or the stones that go into it, are iconic, but is there anything as iconic in the whole franchise as Thor's hammer? Heck, it's one of the famous objects in world mythology, much less Marvel's corner of it.

The Leg Lamp

After the dad in A Christmas Story wins a fragile, major award, it turns out to be a lamp in the shape of a woman's leg. He's so proud of it that he wants to display it in the window, much to the chagrin of his wife. It doesn't make it to the end of the movie, and there is another prop, the Red Ryder BB Gun, that is equally famous, but we just had to go with the leg. After all, it must be Italian.

Dorothy's Ruby Slippers

Of all the famous props and wardrobe pieces on this list, none, not a one, are as famous or as iconic as Dorothy's Ruby Slippers in The Wizard of Oz. It's a prop that is so famous that they are in the Smithsonian along with Fonzie's jacket and Archie Bunker's chair.

The Heart Of The Ocean

Sure, the boat in Titanic is probably the most famous non-character in the movie, but that would be a little on the nose. Instead, we went with the necklace that the crew led by Bill Paxton's character is searching for, The Heart of the Ocean. It ends up down with the boat, though.

The Batmobile

Pick your favorite Batmobile. Any Batmobile works here. You could go with the great one from the '60s TV show (my favorite), or the one from Tim Burton's Batman, and get even more tech with one of Christopher Nolan's versions. You can't go wrong.

Maverick's Jacket

Maverick (Tom Cruise) has one of the most iconic pieces of wardrobe ever. That bomber jacket, covered in patches, is legendary. It's such an important part of the character that when Top Gun: Maverick dropped its first teaser, it was simply a close-up of the jacket and Maverick putting it on.

Freddie's Glove

There are a lot of famous props in horror movies, many of them masks. Freddie's glove in the Nightmare on Elm Street is among the most famous, maybe the most famous. It's a terrifying weapon that has given fans nightmares for decades.

Lightsabers

Okay, so how much do we really need to say here? Of all the props in all the world, is there one more famous than the lightsabers in the Star Wars franchise? No matter what color, there is no weapon in any other franchise that has nearly the same cache as the elegant weapon of the Jedi knights.

Wonka's Golden Ticket

Without the Golden Ticket in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, none of the kids (or their parents) would get the tour of Willie's wild factory. They wouldn't have gotten in any trouble, either.

The Red Swingline Stapler

Stephen Root's character, Milton, in Office Space is one of the weirdest characters in any comedy of the era. Not only is his mumbling disturbing, but his love for his red stapler is downright scary.... and hilarious. It became so famous that Swingline made a special red version of their stapler based on the prop.

Proton Packs

According to Ray (Dan Aykroyd), each Ghostbuster is "carrying an unlicensed nuclear accelerator on his back." Those proton packs have since become a key part of every kid who dressed like our heroes in Ghostbusters for Halloween for decades. Hopefully, the ones the kids wear are a little safer.

The Maltese Falcon

This is a prop so famous, they named the movie after it! Or maybe the prop is named after the movie? I don't know. It could be either way, I suppose. It's one of the most famous MacGuffins ever, the statue in The Maltese Falcon.

Vote For Pedro Tee Shirt

Long after the hype for Napoleon Dynamite faded, we were still seeing people with "Vote For Pedro" shirts walking the streets. The shirts were so popular, it almost eclipsed the movie. Now, they still might be more popular.

The 2001 Obelisk

Obelisks are so cool that people are still randomly building them in the desert (look up Las Vegas Obelisk). That all stems from the Stanley Kubrick classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. Even people who have never seen the legendary film know the scene(s) with the obelisk.

Ghostface's Mask

There are a few very famous masks in horror history, so of course, a movie like Scream, which is essentially a love letter to the classic '70s and '80s slasher films, would end up with one of the most famous. The masks, like the franchise, have been incredibly enduring and probably will be for the next 100 years.

The Sorting Hat

In the world of Harry Potter, there are a few famous props, like the flying car and the various wands. Still, every fan of the franchise secretly has dreams about being sorted by the Sorting Hat into their favorite house at Hogwarts.

Mary Poppins' Umbrella

Every kid dreams of a flying nanny like Mary Poppins, if not having Poppins herself as their nanny. The umbrella has become one of the most recognizable props in the movie over the years. The scene where we first see Julie Andrews as Mary gently guiding herself down is one of the most famous scenes in Hollywood history.

Rita Hayworth Poster

CinemaBlend has called The Shawshank Redemption the best movie of the '90s. The Stephen King story on which it is based is called, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. That's how important the poster is that Andy (Tim Robbins) hides his escape tunnel. The moment when the warden tears it down is one of the most fun moments in any movie, ever.

The New Bluesmobile

The Bluesmobile in The Blues Brothers is not, actually, the original Bluesmobile, according to Jake (John Belushi). The original was a Cadillac, not the former Police Car that Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) shows up in to pick Jake up from prison. Elwood explains that he had to trade it for a microphone, which Jake understands. No matter what, the car is one of the most famous cars of the 1980s.

Reese's Pieces

Oh, what a mistake Mars Candy made when they reportedly didn't want Steven Spielberg to use M&M's in E.T. That opened up an opportunity for the folks over at Reese's Pieces, who did license their product, and now they are one of the most famous food items in any movie, ever.

Jason's Hockey Mask

Of all the famous masks in slasher films from the '70s and '80s, there is none more iconic than Jason's mask in the Friday the 13th franchise. We're not going to get into who was actually wearing it in the original movie, because it doesn't matter. It's the mask that matters.

The Burn Book

Ahhhh, the "Burn Book" in Mean Girls. It's the ultimate downfall of the titular click in the classic comedy written by and starring Tina Fey. It's filled with all the evidence anyone would ever need to take those terrible people down, and eventually, they are dramatically brought down.

The Box In Seven

"What's in the box?" is one of the most disturbing questions ever uttered in any movie, ever. Brad Pitt's performance in the moment is some of the best acting work of his career. We certainly don't want to go into detail with the answer to that question, but if you know, you know.

The Red Balloon In IT

Some people are scared of clowns. Some people are scared of balloons. IT finds a way to freak both groups out and in the process creates one of the most iconic props of all time. No words are needed to scare people, either. Like so many props on this list, one quick glance is all it takes to know exactly what movie it comes from.

I think I speak for many when I say audiences love it when characters from two (or more) different movies or TV series come together in one special event, such as the epic monster movies featuring both Godzilla and King Kong, or when Scooby-Doo and Mystery Inc. appeared on Supernatural. Of course, for all of the mind-blowing crossovers we have been blessed with, there is still much to be desired in the realm of bringing two big-screen or small-screen franchises together.

In that respect, let’s let our imaginations run wild and dream up the movie or TV crossovers that would be incredible to see. Now, I cannot promise that many (or all) of these ideas are legally or even humanly possible, but why should we let that get in the way of the fun?

Toy Story And Small Soldiers

The first, and still one of the best, Pixar movies, Toy Story, showed us the world from the point of view of sentient toys in 1995. Three years later, Small Soldiers offered the same perspective, but with more of an edge and a more realistic approach. Seeing Woody (Tom Hanks) and other innocent children's playthings crossing paths with Major Chip Hazard (Tommy Lee Jones) and his AI-powered, militaristic action figures sounds like one wonderfully warped animated flick, if you ask me.

The Office And Parks And Recreation

As recalled by MovieWeb, co-creators Michael Schur and Greg Daniels initially conceived Parks and Recreation as a spin-off of The Office before it turned into its own separate and equally beloved TV sitcom. Still, there is no reason why Michael Scott (Steve Carell) and his former Dunder-Mifflin co-workers could not somehow cross paths with Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and other Pawnee residents in a mockumentary-style special.

Drive And Fast And Furious

A famous example of misleading movie marketing is 2011's slow-burn, Neo-noir thriller Drive, which one woman assumed would be more of a high-octane action thriller like the Fast and Furious movies, inspiring her to file a lawsuit, according to The Guardian. Honestly, I see this as a reason to give the people what they want and release a movie that sees Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew facing off against Ryan Gosling's Driver.

Succession And Yellowstone

Having both premiered in 2018, Jesse Armstrong's Succession and Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone would become subjects of comparison, with some even calling the Paramount Network hit "Succession with cowboy hats." I think seeing the wealthy and vindictive Roys indulging in a rivalry with the also wealthy and vindictive Duttons would make for one epic feature-length special or miniseries.

21 Jump Street And Men In Black

Among the hypothetical crossovers presented here, not all are too much of a stretch from the realm of possibility. In fact, there were actual plans for a film called MIB23, which would have brought Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) from the 21 Jump Street movie into the world of the Men in Black franchise. Unfortunately, plans were scrapped in 2019, but I still have hope this insane sci-fi/comedy mash-up could work.

Poker Face And The Thing

Imagine if human lie detector Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) from the Peacock original TV show Poker Face was trapped in one place with a group of people who may or may not be shapeshifting extraterrestrial organisms in disguise, like the 1982 horror movie classic, The Thing. She would be the only one who could suss out the imitators, but the rest of the group might be too paranoid to confidently trust her judgment. I think Rian Johnson should give John Carpenter a call.

Star Wars And Marvel Cinematic Universe

As a fan of both the Star Wars movies and of Guardians of the Galaxy, I love the idea of seeing the cosmic warriors from the Marvel Cinematic Universe visit George Lucas' galaxy far, far away. Considering both Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm are owned by Disney, this intergalactic epic is entirely possible, as long as the timeline is respected, of course.

RoboCop And Terminator

Omni Consumer Products' half-man, half-machine crime-fighting tool has crossed paths with Skynet's mechanical killer before, but only on the pages of a Dark Horse comic book series from Frank Miller. Why Hollywood has not yet tried its hand at a movie that pits the hero from RoboCop against any of the antagonistic cyborgs from the Terminator franchise is beyond me.

James Bond And Jason Bourne

The Matt Damon-led Jason Bourne movies are often cited as the inspiration for the James Bond franchise's grittier tone, especially after Daniel Craig took over as 007. If there could be a way to get the American amnesiac assassin and the suave MI6 agent together in a room (which would likely be destroyed by the end), that could make for one of the best spy movies ever.

Sherlock And Doctor Who

Two of the BBC's most popular series, Sherlock and Doctor Who, both involve a highly intelligent, fashionable, and sometimes arrogant protagonist who is accompanied by a reliable companion. For that and many other reasons, I think it would be amazing to see them come together in a special or miniseries in which Holmes, hitting a wall with a case that defies logic, finds unexpected help from The Doctor.

DC Universe And Marvel Cinematic Universe

The two biggest comic book publishing companies in the world have not always been rivals and have indulged in creating stories that see DC heroes and Marvel heroes fighting side by side. Considering his strong ties to the MCU, it can't be out of the question for DC Studios head James Gunn to at least call a meeting with Kevin Feige to discuss bringing this kind of crossover to the big screen, which might end up being the greatest superhero movie ever made.

John Wick And Kill Bill

While largely differing in tone, the John Wick movies and Quentin Tarantino's two-part Kill Bill saga are pretty similar in concept, following two retired, legendary assassins waging a vengeful war on those who wronged them. Who is to say that Keanu Reeves' gun-fu master and Uma Thurman's The Bride never crossed paths in their deadly heyday?

The Evil Dead And The Exorcist

Two of the most popular franchises of demonic possession movies, The Exorcist and The Evil Dead, could not be more different from one another, which is exactly why I want to see them converge. In my pitch, grown-up Regan MacNeill's (Linda Blair) expertise in devilish activity is enlisted to help with a new case, but when it spirals out of control, the only one who can help is chainsaw-headed Deadite hunter, Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell).

Inception And A Nightmare On Elm Street

When you think about it, Leonardo DiCaprio's Dom Cobb from Christopher Nolan's Inception essentially has the same job as Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street. Just imagine how much more challenging his team's adventures through the subconscious would be with Robert Englund's sadistic, badly burned boogeyman invading the same dream.

Alien, Predator, And Jurassic Park

You know what I think the Alien vs. Predator movies were missing? Dinosaurs. Putting these two fearsome extraterrestrials in yet another battle, but while trapped on one of the prehistoric animal-infested islands from the Jurassic Park films, could result in one of the most exciting entries from any of these franchises. You would not even need human characters to make it work because seeing both the Predator and the Xenomorph knocked down a peg by the T-Rex as a common enemy would be more than enough.

Ghostbusters And Casper

We already know that Casper and the Ghostbusters exist in the same universe, thanks to Dan Aykroyd's cameo as Ray Stantz in the Friendly Ghost's 1995 live-action feature adaptation of the animated series. I am sure Casper would happily help the paranormal exterminators take on a few evil spirits, even after an awkward misunderstanding were to happen when they first meet.

Mad Max And Dredd

The great thing about post-apocalyptic movies is that each has a different, intriguing interpretation of what a dystopian society would look like. However, what if the Wasteland from George Miller's Mad Max movies existed just across the (dried up) pond from Mega City One in Dredd? The gritty, visually stunning possibilities are endless.

Blade And Twilight

Allow me to make one thing clear: I am not suggesting that Marvel Comics' vampire hunter, originally played on the big screen by Wesley Snipes, should show up in the Twilight movies just to see Robert Pattinson's Edward, Kristen Stewart's Bella, and other bloodsuckers get slaughtered. I actually think Blade's presence could give the persistent haters of the films based on Stephanie Meyer's YA novel series a reason to treat the franchise with a little more respect.

Indiana Jones And Marvel Cinematic Universe

Since Disney owns both Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm, I wonder if anyone there has ever tinkered with the idea of putting a character like Indiana Jones in the MCU. I mean, he and Steve "Captain America" Rogers would have been alive around the same time and, as staunch anti-fascists, probably would have gotten along great. I doubt Harrison Ford's casting as Thunderbolt Ross in Captain America: Brave New World would cause much confusion, either.

Monk And Psych

The USA Network used to run promos bringing characters from their respective series together, including one in which Tony Shalhoub's eponymous detective from Monk suspects that Shawn Spencer (James Roday Rodriguez) is not a real psychic. It makes me wish that we could have seen an official crossover episode that would have seen plenty of funny bickering between the carefree Shawn and someone as neurotic as Adrian Monk, who at least might have gotten along with Gus (Dulé Hill).

Power Rangers And Godzilla

By combining their respective, animal-shaped vehicles into one large Megazord, the Power Rangers have managed to face off against bizarre creatures of all sizes, which means they could realistically take on Godzilla. However, if I were to pitch this crossover, the rangers would eventually have to join forces with the King of the Monsters after an even larger creature emerges to wreak havoc on Angel Grove.

Bill & Ted And Wayne's World

Perhaps we never saw Bill S. Preston Esq. (Alex Winter) and Ted "Theodore" Logan (Keanu Reeves) take Wayne Campbell (Mike Myers) and Garth Algar (Dana Carvey) on a trip through time because we are not worthy of such an excellent idea. Then again, if Myers and Carvey can still get together for Wayne's World reunions on SNL and Reeves and Winter could come back for 2020's Bill & Ted Face the Music, who says it doesn't have potential?

Dirty Harry And Death Wish

I think the greatest Dirty Harry movie we never saw would have put Clint Eastwood's Lt. Callahan on the case of a murderer targeting the most vicious gangs in San Francisco, which would turn out to be Charles Bronson's Paul Kersey from Death Wish. Inevitably, I think Harry would be lured into an alliance with the vengeful vigilante, coming to believe that his more permanent methods of justice align with his own.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer And Sabrina The Teenage Witch

It's a shame that there was never any attempt to make an official crossover between Buffy the Vampire Slayer with Sarah Michelle Gellar and the Melissa Joan Hart-led Sabrina the Teenage Witch while they were still on the air. The coming-of-age supernatural series may have differed dramatically in tone, but that is just what would have made the collaboration such a blast.

Harry Potter And The Dresden Files

If fans of the Harry Potter movies have ever been interested in trying out something a bit darker and grittier, there is another literary modern-day wizard with the same first name: Harry Dresden, played by Paul Blackthorne on the SyFy series, The Dresden Files. I think it would be fun to see J.K. Rowling's The Boy Who Lived helping author Jim Butcher's Chicago-based P.I. solve a grisly mystery in which magic is involved.

The Munsters And The Addams Family

They may have been on different networks and produced by opposing studios, but how in the world has there never been an attempt to introduce the Munsters to the Addams Family? I would even be open to getting the actors from Rob Zombie's reboot movie to star alongside the cast of Netflix's Wednesday if it meant getting just a glimpse at these creepy, kooky families finally coming together.

It And Terrifier

There are no two villains in the subgenre of creepy clown movies more iconic than Pennywise from It and Art the Clown from Terrifier. I can't imagine a horror fan being against the idea of bringing Bill Skarsgård's shapeshifting fear demon from Andy Muschietti's blockbuster adaptation of Stephen King's novel and David Howard Thornton from Damien Leone's shocking indie slashers together for one brutal showdown that would have blood and white face paint smeared across the screen.

Hocus Pocus And Trick 'R Treat

In Disney's cult favorite, family-friendly witch movie, 1993's Hocus Pocus, our young protagonists go through a lot of trouble to defeat the Sanderson Sisters (played by Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker). I cannot help but wonder how easily those sinister spellcasters could have been taken care of by the mischievous Sam from the 2007 anthology horror movie favorite, Trick 'r Treat.

Hoarders And Storage Wars

You know those people on the show Hoarders who compulsively keep hold of any item they possess, no matter how unnecessary or even unhealthy it may be? I have a potential idea to help them: put them on another A&E reality show called Storage Wars and tell them that they must outbid other experienced collectors if they want to maintain ownership of their junk.

Johnny English And The Pink Panther

While it barely held a candle to Peter Sellers, I cannot deny that I enjoyed Steve Martin's portrayal of Inspector Jacques Clouseau in his Pink Panther reboot. I even more enjoyed Rowan Atkinson as a bumbling Bond-wannabe in the Johnny English movies. I imagine that having the clueless French detective and accident-prone British spy cross paths on a case would result in some real comedic dynamite (especially if real dynamite is involved).

Sister Act And The Nun

After watching Whoopi Goldberg's Academy Award-winning performance in Ghost, I am convinced that a sequel to Sister Act in which Deloris Wilson-Van Cartier must contend with the habit-wearing demon Valak (Bonnie Aarons) from the Conjuring movies would be a riot.

Big Brother And Survivor

Big Brother and Survivor are both competitive reality shows that make social interaction a key element to winning, with the biggest difference being the setting. If I ran CBS, I would send the most famous all-stars from Big Brother to a remote island, bring Survivor champs to the Big Brother house, and see what happens.

When The Fountain of Youth premieres on the 2025 movie schedule, I have a feeling a bunch of people are going to feel nostalgia for the adventure films they grew up on. So, with that in mind, I asked the film's stars, John Krasinski, Natalie Portman, Domhnall Gleeson and Eiza González, about the most formative films from this genre. While Indiana Jones was their most common answer, the Baby Driver actress provided a solid reason for why we should add Disney movies to this list, too.

Indiana Jones Was The Common Response When I Asked About Formative Adventure Films

Growing up, adventure films like National Treasure defined my childhood, and Guy Ritchie’s The Fountain of Youth feels like it could do the same thing for a new generation. So, when I interviewed John Krasinski and Natalie Portman, who play siblings in this movie that will be streaming on Apple TV+ very soon, I asked them about the formative action/adventure films from their childhood.

The Office actor was quick to answer with some of the best action movies ever, saying:

Portman replied by saying she “couldn’t agree more” with her co-star. Like The Fountain of Youth, both Indiana Jones and The Goonies tell the stories of epic adventures and fearless heroes.

Indiana Jones turned out to be the most common film to come up among this cast, too, when asked this question. That’s because, not only did Krasinski mention it and Portman agree with him, but Domhnall Gleeson also told me:

Truly, when I think of classic adventure films, I picture Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones first, then the dinosaurs from Jurassic Park, those kiddos in The Goonies, and Nicolas Cage stealing The Declaration of Independence in National Treasure. However, those are all notably live-action films, and Eiza González told me why some animated classics need to be included here, too.

However, Eiza González Made A Great Point About Disney Movies

As I mentioned, when I asked this question to Eiza González, she took the road less traveled with her answer. While she mentioned live-action gems like The Mummy and Tomb Raider, she also noted that what makes an adventure movie an adventure movie is a story about friends who go on a journey and learn something about themselves and the world along the way. Therefore, we have to include some of the best Disney animated classics on this list, too, as she said:

Truly, Aladdin, The Lion King and so many other animated films are also wonderful adventure flicks, and as González said, they fit into this category of formative film.

For generations, these flicks have been watched by kids as they’ve grown up, and like Indiana Jones, they show us some truly epic and inspiring tales.

So, when you think back on all the magical adventure movies that defined your childhood, don’t just think live-action. Get those Disney movies in there too, and then let that reflection lead to a rewatch, I mean, all those animated flicks mentioned and the Indiana Jones movies are available with a Disney+ subscription.

Then, on May 23, make sure to use your Apple TV+ subscription to tune in for The Fountain of Youth, an epic brand-new adventure film that all the actors mentioned are a part of.

Once upon a time, theme park lands were defined by general concepts. A collection of attractions based on ideas like “fantasy” or a medium like comic strips was all that was needed for different rides to share space. But for the past 15 years, things have been very different.

In 2010, the first Wizarding World of Harry Potter land opened at Universal Orlando Resort. This was followed by a second land at Universal’s other park, as well as new lands from Disney World, including Pandora: the World of Avatar and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. These theme park lands aren’t simply offering similar attractions, but an immersive experience that covers every moment you spend in the land.

Immersive Theme Park Lands Are The New Normal

If anybody is curious what the future of theme park lands looks like, one only needs to look at the world’s newest theme park. Universal Orlando’s Epic Universe has five new lands, and four of them use the same immersive concept. Not only do we have a third Wizarding World of Harry Potter but Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk, and Dark Universe, all attempting to make you feel like you’re in another world even when you’re not on a ride.

There’s a lot to be said for this style of theme park experience. Theme parks are, by their nature, supposed to make you feel like you’ve left the real world, and these lands arguably do that better than anything that came before. Universal Creative gets the credit for having launched the concept, and they certainly did it admirably.

However, if history had gone slightly differently, it’s possible that Disneyland could have developed the first theme park land dedicated to a specific franchise, as there were once plans to transform most, if not all, of Adventureland into an Indiana Jones adventure.

Indiana Jones Nearly Took Over Disneyland’s Adventureland

When Michael Eisner took over the Walt Disney Company in the late 1980s, he decided that one thing the parks needed more of was attractions that appealed to audiences other than small children and their parents. As part of his new initiative, he began to work with George Lucas. Through Lucas, he began projects that would result in the creation of Star Tours, the debut of Captain EO with Michael Jackson. Following that success, Eisner turned his eye toward another popular Lucas property in the early 1990s, Indiana Jones.

He tasked Walt Disney Imagineering with developing an attraction based on Harrison Ford’s action hero. They did not disappoint. Not only did they come up with an idea, but they came up with several. Concepts included a Mine Cart roller coaster inspired by the chase sequence in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, a biplane flight attraction, a temple maze, and more.

The idea grew to the point that the existing Adventureland attraction, the Jungle Cruise, and even the Disneyland Railroad would become part of the larger Indiana Jones experience. In the end, there was a concept to not simply make one attraction, but rather to do them all. The idea would have encompassed most or all of Adventureland.

In the end, it simply proved too costly to pull off everything that Imagineering wanted to do, according to Imagineer Tony Baxter in the series Behind the Attraction…

As it happened, Imagineering had recently developed a new ride vehicle with a built-in motion system, which wound up being perfect for the temple exploration attraction idea, and thus it was chosen to be the Indiana Jones attraction fans would ultimately get.

And Indiana Jones Land Today Could Be Something Special

The idea of transforming one of the original lands of Disneyland into something based on an IP, and not even one created by Disney, is the sort of thing that would give purists hives today. I’m not sure I would entirely be in favor of it myself. All of the existing theme park lands dedicated to single IPs have been part of major park expansions, which surely is part of the reason that fans don’t mind them as much.

But, as somebody who largely enjoys the immersive elements of those other lands, I still can’t help wondering what an Indiana Jones-themed land would have been like if it had actually happened. Walking into an area that looks like an archeological dig, with multiple attractions, is just the sort of thing we would expect to see if such a land were built today. While the concept was deemed too expensive at the time, if there had been any indication then that such an idea would mean such big business, one imagines Disney would have paid that bill.

It’s not hard to imagine the sorts of things we would have found in an Indiana Jones-themed land if it had been built in the style of theme park lands today. There’d be a tavern called Ravenwood’s. Maybe we’d get an Indian Restaurant that served ice cream for dessert, served in a plastic monkey skull.

Of course, considering that nobody turned out for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, it seems that the high-water mark of Indy’s fame is gone, and thus getting an Indiana Jones-themed land in the future is all but impossible.

Indy will be part of Disney Parks for a long time. Indiana Jones Adventure is still one of the most popular rides at Disneyland. The Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is still going strong, despite numerous rumors of its end over the years. We’re even getting a brand new Indy attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The Mine Cart ride can even be found today at Disneyland Paris. There’s so much Indy at Disney Parks that he could fill his own land. Part of me really wishes he did.

Long before teaming up with Martin Scorsese or getting ready to revive his role as Maui in the upcoming live-action Moana, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was just a kid in Charlotte, North Carolina, watching movies in a packed theater with his head tilted back and his eyes glued to the screen. Now, he’s one of the biggest actors on the 2025 movie schedule and beyond. But it wasn’t all about the glitz and glam. He credits a key moment in his childhood, one that, of course, had to do with Harrison Ford, for setting him on the path to becoming the wrestling legend and blockbuster star with a ton of upcoming movie projects we know today.

In a recent Instagram video, the Jumanji series veteran responded to a fan who asked if he’d always wanted to be an actor. As it turns out, the seed was planted early, thanks to one iconic archaeologist-adventurer: Indiana Jones. Johnson remembered:

The full video, posted to Johnson’s personal account @therock, is classic Rock; part heartfelt, part rambling, and fully entertaining. In it, he also goes on a tangent about Tom Selleck, revealing he’s been listening (twice!) to the actor’s audiobook and was blown away by the story of his involvement, or lack thereof, in Raiders of the Lost Ark. He continued:

Johnson, who has built his career playing charismatic and gritty heroes on the big screen, definitely hasn’t lost touch with the awe that moment gave him. Seeing Harrison Ford whip his way through Raiders of the Lost Ark was a game-changer for him. It wasn’t just an incredible movie moment; as the video below shows, it was actually “the” moment that shaped the life of the Moana star.

It would be years before Johnson stepped into the spotlight in some of the most anticipated upcoming action movies. Still, he credits that early Indy cinematic experience with lighting the fire. It’s a reminder that sometimes, it only takes one movie, one role, or one larger-than-life performance to change everything.

From a front-row kid in Charlotte to global superstardom, the Jungle Cruise star’s journey started with a whip crack, a fedora, and a dream to be “that” guy. As far as movie origin stories go, this one’s pure gold.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is expected to appear next in an upcoming A24 film, a biopic directed by Benny Safdie titled The Smashing Machine, where he plays MMA fighter Mark Kerr. Stay tuned for more updates about everyone’s favorite wrestler turned actor.

When I think of Harrison Ford, it’s hard not to think about the Indiana Jones movies and the Star Wars franchise. That’s true for many as well, as Indy and Han Solo are two characters who have become legendary. It turns out the actor’s co-stars feel that way too, as Darren Mann – who played Jack Dutton in 1923 opposite Ford’s Jacob Dutton – told me a story behind the first time he met Harrison Ford that involves none other than Indiana Jones.

While we’ve known and loved Harrison Ford for his films for decades, in recent years, he’s been making a splash on TV. Specifically, he starred in the Yellowstone prequel 1923 – which just wrapped up its run on the 2025 TV schedule – as Jacob Dutton. So, you could say he traded in Indy’s fedora for a cowboy hat.

To that point, when I asked Darren Mann about the Yellowstone show's cowboy hats during an interview for Season 2 of 1923, he brought up the story of the first time he met Ford, telling me:

I would truly be so starstruck if this happened. I can imagine Harrison Ford swiftly pushing the door open and walking through it in a classic wide-brimmed hat; it’s very Indiana Jones of him.

It turns out that Darren Mann was in awe, too. He told me that as he was trying on cowboy hats, the Shrinking star was being playful and asking him about which hat looked the best. Overall, the Jack Dutton actor felt like he was standing right next to Indiana Jones…because, well, he was:

After that, I geeked out a bit over this amazing story and told Mann how big a fan I am of Ford. He agreed, telling me that he loves his co-star, and when this happened to him, he didn’t actually say anything back. He just looked forward with his jaw dropped.

This story about Harrison Ford being quite funny and simply legendary fits right in with other tales from the set of 1923. Along with Mann being a fan while working with him, Brandon Sklenar couldn’t help but think about how cool it was, too. The Spencer Dutton actor got to walk out of a burning building next to his iconic co-star, and he told me it felt like he was in an epic action movie like Die Hard, John Wick, or, dare I say, Indiana Jones.

Overall, Darren Mann’s story about Harrison Ford was so endearing, and it sounds like they had a grand old time playing cowboys together.

Now, if you’d like to see these two in their cowboy hats and defending the Dutton ranch together, you can stream both seasons of 1923 in full with a Paramount+ subscription.

As somebody who writes about theme parks for a living, I visit them as often as I possibly can, and I’ve been lucky enough to go to a lot of cool places and do a lot of fun stuff. One item that is still on the bucket list, however, is a visit to Disneyland’s iconic Club 33, the private dining room that is only available to members (who have a lot of money).

Club 33 membership has a waitlist that reportedly takes years, and it costs tens of thousands, plus annual dies, to get access. Many celebrity Disney fans are Club 33 members. To be fair, it also includes a Disneyland annual pass and a lot of other perks, so you get quite a bit for your money. It’s no wonder people who have lost their memberships have sued to get them back.

Of course, even after you pay your membership to Club 33, you also have to pay for your meals, as well as for the exclusive merchandise that Club 33 always has. Right now Club 33 is celebrating the 30th anniversary of one of the best rides at Disneyland, the Indiana Jones Adventure, with a collection of glasses. This includes a new tiki mug and a Mai Tai glass you can only buy inside Club 33, and I’ve never wanted to get inside more in my life.

The Enchanted Tiki Bar Instagram account dropped these images of new drinkware that is available for purchase inside Club 33 only. The ceramic mug is not the cheapest thing in the world, though it does come with a cocktail, called "Why did it have to be snakes?" Disneyland drinks are not exactly cheap on their own, so the mug isn't quite as expensive as it looks.

Tim Wollweber has designed several of the different tiki mugs that can be purchased in Disney Parks. Many of them are limited edition collector’s items that will sell out in a single day. This one may stay around a bit longer, but only because the audience that has access to it is already limited.

If a tiki mug isn’t your style, then perhaps the Mai Tai glass from Disney artist Hayden Evans is more your style. This one comes with your choice of cocktail, but since there are two options, I may need to buy two glasses in order to try both.

Club 33 is exclusive, but its existence is well-known by this point. It's so well known that a Club 33 movie is reportedly in development. For decades, it was the only place to buy an alcoholic beverage inside the Disneyland park. That changed when Oga's Cantina opened with Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Today, alcohol is available at every Disneyland table-service restaurant.

SPOILER WARNING: Though the spoilers below are minor at best, I thought I’d err on the side of caution for those who want to go into Paddington in Peru blind. If that’s the case, make yourself an orange marmalade sandwich and go about your business.

Paddington in Peru has been one of the 2025 movies I’ve been most excited to see ever since I first learned that the adorable, marmalade-obsessed bear was returning to the big screen for another adventure. While I was excited, my soon-to-be 9-year-old daughter was even more ecstatic when I told her we were going to an early screening. But little did I know, a little more than halfway through the movie, that I would have one of my proudest parenting moments yet.

As a parent who pretty much lives and breathes movies (for better or worse), I have long made it a point to share my favorite movies with my kids. Sometimes, this means watching iconic ‘80s movies, others it’s a family-friendly comedy from my childhood I think they’ll love. Well, one of those choices I made long ago paid off big time. And yes, a certain famous adventurer is involved…

First Off, My Daughter And I Both Loved Paddington In Peru

Before I get too carried away, I have to say that my daughter and I both loved Paddington in Peru. Though I don’t think the latest adventure involving the Ben Whishaw-voiced bear is better than the 100-percent rated Paddington 2 (but that’s because I think it’s one of the best sequels ever), the trip down to South America was a magnificently delightful experience, and some of the most fun I’ve had all year.

The Brown family traveling to the rainforest to help Paddington find his Aunt Lucy led to some hilarious, action-packed, and downright emotional moments that had me wiping away more than a few tears.

But The Best Moment Came When My Daughter Pointed Out An Indiana Jones Reference

So, what was the moment? Well, near the end of Paddington in Peru where the titular bear is running around an old ruin when he is chased by a massive boulder. During the scene, my daughter tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Dad, that’s from Indiana Jones” before turning back to the screen. Now, we’ve watched Raiders of the Lost Ark several times over the years, but it’s not something we talk about all the time.

Honestly, I’m just glad she remembered the whole opening sequence from the movie and not the genuinely terrifying face-melting scene near the end of the adventure film. At least, I hope she doesn’t remember that part.

My Daughter's Comment Made Me Feel Like I'm Doing Something Right, At Least When It Comes To Movies

My daughter is my oldest kid, which means I’m still learning as I go with her. I get some things right, others wrong; but this moment we shared in an early screening, one week shy of her 9th birthday, made me feel like I’m doing okay with this whole parenting thing. Well… at least when it comes to movies.

Like my dad before me (and his mom before him), I’ve always tried to share my love of cinema with my kids. From introducing my daughter to the best Studio Ghibli films to taking her to see The Wild Robot, it’s been quite the journey. And I can’t wait to see what’s next.

The moral of the story is to take your kids to more movies, show them more movies, and most of all… talk to them about movies. You never know when it’s going to lead to a moment like this.

Harrison Ford seems to be enjoying his time in the Disney family. Following his latest cinematic outing via the 2025 movie schedule release Captain America: Brave New World, the genre legend continues to fortify his legacy in the major franchises that the House of Mouse is currently working with. So, of course Jimmy Kimmel was going to ask the man if he’s been on any of the theme park rides based on Star Wars and Indiana Jones. And just as you would probably expect, Mr. Ford clapped back with some humorous sass.

This funny exchange took place during the 82-year-old actor's latest appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! The man known for playing the globe-trotting, fedora-wearing hit the host with this truly snark sentiment:

To be fair, if the star of the Indiana Jones movies (which are streamable with a Disney+ subscription) really wanted, he could have caught the slight gaffe that Mr. Kimmel pushed into their conversation. While there are attractions that play towards the legacies of both Dr. Jones and Han Solo, Orlando’s entertainment doesn’t have a ride for Indy at the moment. Though that’s about to change in the next couple of years, thanks to plans for everything new coming to Walt Disney World.

As the removal of Dino Land USA is underway at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, that opening day section of the park is about to become extinct. In a seemingly cruel twist of fate, Animal Kingdom’s plan for an Indiana Jones land will see the famed archeologist making that place his East Coast home. Though, from what we understand, Disney’s Hollywood Studios will still have the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular on its campus once this vision has been executed.

That is, frankly, the best way to segue to a Harrison Ford gag that would have fell right in line with the Disney MGM Studios era. You can see Ford dish out his epic response to Jimmy Kimmel in the video down below:

You know something? I’m kind of surprised there isn’t a “Jimmy Kimmel Live Experience” attraction at Hollywood Studios. Coincidentally enough, the Echo Lake section of the park that holds the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular has the perfect venue that could have worked in. Unfortunately, seeing as the Hyperion Theatre is the current home to “For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration,” I don’t think that will make way for a Jimmy Kimmel attraction any time soon.

All of this theme park talk surrounding Harrison Ford has me thinking: I wonder how good of a co-pilot the aviation enthusiast would be in the Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run attraction? Does the star of some of the best action movies prefer the horizontal or vertical controls? Would he even want to fly, or is he more of an Engineer sort of rider?

I know full well I’d probably be at the business end of some trademark Ford sass if I ever asked, but I’d also be lying if I said I didn’t want to know. For now though, it sounds like high time to dream of what this long rumored Indiana Jones land will look like once it’s built. Plans change quite often when it comes to Disney Parks attractions, and it’s not too late to try and build a replica of that beautiful motorcycle chase from The Last Crusade.

For those who don’t know, back in December of 2024, Bethesda the company that is behind Fallout released a video game for the Indiana Jones franchise. The game itself does not have Harrison Ford playing the titular character, but instead Troy Baker. When asked about his opinions of having a body and face double, Ford had an interesting take to share.

When you think about the character of Indiana Jones, you immediately think of Harrison Ford. For Bethesda’s video game Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, the body double that is used for the game is played by voice actor Troy Baker. Baker is best known as the voice actor for Joel in The Last of Us video game. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, on the subject of his body double for the game, Ford had this to say:

The Great Circle takes place in 1937 which is one year after the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark, so the game itself has no sway on the ending of Dial of Destiny. But that also means that we need a younger Indiana Jones, and rather than de-aging Harrison Ford like in the movie, someone who looked similar to him was chosen in its stead. Back when the first trailer was released, “old Indiana” was already praised to look better than what we saw in Dial of Destiny, which in fairness did look good.

Aside from the aesthetics, The Great Circle shows some choices opportunities that the franchise can incorporate on the big screens and possibly streaming services. Bakers’ performance as Indy shows that the franchise itself doesn’t have to stop with Ford; and as stated by the man himself, Ford doesn’t think AI and de-aging is needed to keep the character alive.

This isn’t the first time for Ford that someone else would have to play a younger version of a character of his. Ford sang his praises for Alden Ehrenreich’s portrayal of young Han Solo in Solo: A Star Wars Story. He previously gave the advice to those who are going to play Han Solo to “make it your own”, so Ford has a history of supporting actors and giving his praises to their portrayal of his iconic characters.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is currently available on Xbox and PC, with a port for the PS5 in the spring. And all the movies, including Dial of Destiny, is available for streaming with a Disney+ subscription.

The most exciting Indiana Jones project in years came out recently, and it's not the Dial of Destiny movie. The Lucasfilm franchise partnered with Bethesda, which recently oversaw the television adaptation of its acclaimed franchise Fallout, and together, they made Indiana Jones And The Great Circle. It's a fantastic video game I spent many hours playing, and now that I've finished it, I think it's high time to point out the missed opportunity this franchise doesn't have a modern limited series.

After spending around 20 or so hours stopping fascists from obtaining great power, I'm wondering why I can't already use my Disney+ subscription to watch a new series very similar to this on streaming already. For those who have yet to check the game out, I'll explain why I think Lucasfilm needs to look into bringing its hero to the small screen and give us what could be one of the best shows we've seen from Disney in a while.

Indiana Jones And The Great Circle Proves This Franchise Could Pull Off A Limited Series

The main story of Indiana Jones And The Great Circle follows Indy heading to Vatican City after witnessing a giant man steal a relic from Marshall College's collection. This begins a journey across the world and several locations that crosses paths with all sorts of people and, of course, the Nazis. Jones does his usual galavanting across the globe and meets many unique characters, provided you interact with them. I know there are Indiana Jones fans who skipped Dial of Destiny, but they shouldn't do that with this game if they can help it.

If the player plows through the main story without exploring and doing side quests, the game clocks in at around fifteen hours. That's about five hours longer than the average streaming series, especially when it comes to Disney+ shows. If a game can tell an elongated Indiana Jones story, surely there's someone out in Hollywood who can make a series.

Indiana Jones And The Great Circle was able to elongate its story with a relic split into multiple pieces scattered across the globe. With this formula, Indy was required to travel the world and learn the fables and myths that led to the next relic. It's a formula that could easily be replicated for a series, though I'm sure there are more possibilities beyond just replicating the core formula the video game followed.

Multiple Exotic Shooting Locations Could Call For A Big Budget, But That's What Streaming Shows Do Best

As a world-renowned archeologist, Indiana Jones has been to some pretty wild places. Whether he's staying in ancient Italy or hiding out in the jungles of South America, an expectation of the franchise is that he'll be going to exotic locales. If you don't have that, it's not Indiana Jones, and even if you're not always on location, it has to look like you are.

Shooting multiple locations around the world is not a cheap endeavor and an expense I would say most shows wouldn't be able to justify. Indiana Jones can justify it, however, because it's always been about getting the viewer out of the United States and into the most fantastical locations around the world. If Disney is willing to spend $15 million an episode on Percy Jackson And The Olympians, I think it could handle whatever number is thrown at them for an Indiana Jones limited series.

In fact, Disney+ might be the only place capable of such an idea, given that streaming shows generally are getting inflated budgets in comparison to cable and network television. You won't see many shows on television that spend $120 million like The Mandalorian Season 1, and seeing as that's also a Lucasfilm-associated project, I wouldn't be surprised if an Indiana Jones series was given the same ballpark budget. This is just speculation though, and seeing as we don't actually have a series in the works, who can say for sure?

Indiana Jones And The Great Circle Also Proves We Don't Need Harrison Ford To Play The Main Character

Indiana Jones And The Great Circle has something going for it that previous projects in the franchise didn't. It was only burdened by replicating the voice of Harrison Ford, and could lean on graphics to recreate a younger version of the character. Troy Baker did a phenomenal job voicing a young Ford. He sounds like a dead ringer to the point you'll forget it's not Ford while playing. It's such an iconic character, it has me thinking this role could easily be recast and replicated by someone else.

As much as I applaud Dial Of Destiny's efforts to de-age Ford, we all know the clear limitations at this point of doing that. Uncanny valley is still very real when it comes to AI, and the human mind is very good at spotting when a human face doesn't look quite right. Beyond that, de-aging an actor doesn't mean the 82-year-old actor starts moving like he did decades prior. It's fine, he shouldn't have to, but it's all the more reason to let Harrison Ford live in peace and pass the torch to a new Indiana Jones.

There's no shortage of actors in Hollywood who could be the next Indiana Jones, and while there would be a transitional period of judgment from fans, it generally works out well. Look at Star Trek, which has recast many of its core characters for quite a while now. I know I'd much sooner see that than some AI attempt to bring back the past only for it to fall short.

Wait, Didn't Indiana Jones Try A Series Before?

Yes, I haven't forgotten about The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, which famously did not live up to the hype. Perhaps it was an idea ahead of its time, but I wouldn't use it as evidence that an Indiana Jones series is not viable. We live in a much different age with the streaming landscape, where big-budget shows reign supreme. I think it's time to give this franchise another shot when it comes to television, and if it succeeds, maybe it'll give Indiana Jones the boost the revival has tried to get at the box office for years.

Watch the Indiana Jones movies, including Dial of Destiny, on Disney+. For those wanting to check out The Great Circle, it's currently available on Xbox and PC, and will arrive on PS5 in Spring 2025.

You may have heard the story before: if things had gone differently, Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones might have been played by Tom Selleck instead of Harrison Ford. Ford addressed the Raiders of the Lost Ark outcome only last year, and Selleck himself wrote about it in his recent biography, You Never Know: A Memoir.

I happened to pick up the book on a sunny Sunday afternoon, and was surprised to find BTS stories about Selleck’s National Guard experience, as well as Hollywood tidbits about Mae West and the Lancer TV series the actor drily notes is only remembered thanks to a reference in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. But the one thing that stuck out really hard to me was how close Selleck was to playing the iconic Indiana Jones -- like really close, like to the point where Steven Spielberg told him he had the role.

He landed the role. He thought it was a sure thing. So what happened?

What Happened With Magnum P.I. And Indiana Jones, According To Tom Selleck

After auditioning with a young Sean Young (who didn’t ultimately land the movie either), Tom Selleck was offered the role. At the time, he looped in Spielberg and Lucas about a CBS pilot he’d shot called Magnum Initially it didn’t seem to be a big deal (the name change to P.I. came later), though the actor recalls he felt like he was in “the World Series of waits” while he awaited word about both the movie and the TV pilot moving forward.

The worst case scenario happened. While Selleck was in limbo, the two famous moviemen did keep the offer on the table for more than a month. Then Magnum P.I. continued moving forward and the head honcho at CBS Bob Daly flat out told the directors his new, shiny TV actor couldn’t say yes to both. He was worried Selleck would jump ship to the big screen, according to Selleck. The actor's own feelings on the matter?

That wasn’t the end of the story, however. Next came the longest Hollywood strike with the Screen Actors Guild. At the time. Selleck had just nabbed a “charming place” in Hawaii when it happened, but it did lead to some frustration over what had happened.

What Happened After Harrison Ford Was Cast As Indiana Jones

While Selleck was settling into life in Hawaii, Harrison Ford had landed the role of the whip-bearing hero Indiana Jones. Intriguingly, while the SAG strike affected most of the industry, Indiana Jones was allowed to work on the production during these tenuous times. The Magnum P.I. actor recalled in You Never Know the one moment in this saga that nearly got to him, but that he tried to have the right perspective on.

He said one day he was eating breakfast during the strike when he saw the headline: 'Spielberg to Finish Movie in Hawaii.' They'd work out a deal to film the movie in the midst of the strike when Selleck was off Magnum P.I. anyway. He wrestled with the frustration of the entire deal and wrote in his book he tried very hard to distract himself from losing the role, buying a surfboard (and surfing unsuccessfully) and more. He wrote of that time:

It took Tom Selleck a long time to really break into the industry. He was 35 when Magnum P.I. went to series and he said he struggled with fame when he broke big.

Still, it had its perks, as he later on went on to land big screen roles in Three Men and a Baby and had a storied TV career that included notable roles in Friends, Las Vegas and most recently Blue Bloods. (Not to mention the Jesse Stone movies, which Selleck would like to resurrect.) This led him to be able to buy and work on his famous avocado farm and more, even without the Indy money.

But it's hard to sometimes not look back and think about what could've, would've, should've been.

In the 1980s, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas introduced audiences to a character who will forever be remembered as one of the greatest cinematic heroes of all time. Between Raiders Of The Lost Ark, 1984’s Temple Of Doom and 1989’s The Last Crusade, Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones was established as an indelible figure in pop culture history, and his legacy has lived on into the 21st century with two modern sequels.

But looking back on the classic trilogy, what are the lines and the scenes that made Indiana Jones a true legend? It’s exactly that question that will be addressed in this feature.

Stopping An Assassin With A Quick Crack Of His Whip

It takes just a matter of seconds in Raiders Of The Lost Ark for Indiana Jones to establish himself as a special hero. When a man quietly reveals a gun to try and take a shot at him in the movie’s opening sequence, Indy doesn’t take him down by firing off a gun of his own or showcasing some martial arts skills; he takes out his whip and disarms the assassin in seconds with a single crack.

Finding The Booby Trapped Stones In The Temple

Indiana Jones isn’t just any archeologist/treasure hunter; he is an exceptionally smart and adept archeologist/treasure hunter. Raiders Of The Lost Ark teaches us this very early on by showing instead of telling – with Indy brilliantly sniffing out booby traps in the Peruvian temple by pressing on a rigged stone with a staff.

“I Hate Snakes, Jock! I Hate 'Em!”

We love our heroes to be tough and brave in the face of adversity, but we’re also fond of when they have weaknesses and fears just like any of us. For Indiana Jones, this is where snakes come in, and it becomes a vital part of the character in the rest of the franchise.

The Reunion With Marion

Steven Spielberg makes phenomenal use of silhouette and shadow in all of his Indiana Jones films, but arguably the greatest of them all is the character’s reunion with Marion Ravenwood. The hero, with his iconic fedora on, appears larger than life when he arrives at the bar in Nepal – a perfect illustration of who he has become in pop culture in the decades since Raiders Of The Lost Ark.

Gun Beats Sword

If you’re in need of any one scene that quickly sums up the awesome attitude of Indiana Jones, there is no better choice than his showdown with a sword-wielding attacker in Raiders Of The Lost Ark. The would-be killer clearly has skills, and he would unquestionably be a threat in a fair fight where both sides are carrying matching weapons… but those aren’t the circumstances. Indy gives him a very specific lesson in the idiom “Never bring a knife to a gunfight.”

Using The Staff Of Ra To Find The Location Of The Ark

It’s always amazing when Indiana Jones brings legend to life (even when it’s fictional), and one is filled with a sense of awe when he uses the properly assembled Staff of Ra to find the true location of the Well of Souls.

Digging Right Under The Noses Of The Nazis

Indiana Jones pulls off some super bold moves in the original trilogy, and a highlight is him digging in the proper place and discovering the Well Of Souls within walking distance of the site where the Nazis are looking.

Facing His Greatest Fear To Protect The Ark

Raiders Of The Lost Ark does a fantastic job of foreshadowing by establishing Indiana Jones’ most powerful fear in an early scene, and it speaks a great deal to his character that he doesn’t let his terror stop him from getting the job done. When he sees that the Well of Souls is full of serpents, he doesn’t just dust off his hands and turn tail. Instead, he commits himself to the betterment of the world by attempting to protect the Ark Of The Covenant.

Knocking Down A Temple Statue To Bust Down A Wall

I get the sense that Indiana Jones would be crazy good at escape rooms, and the scene where he breaks himself and Marion out of the Well Of Souls is pure proof. While putting aside his greatest phobia, he figures out a way to avoid certain death by using a giant statue to bust down a wall. It’s unfortunate that he has to destroy some ancient artifacts and ends up disrupting a burial ground, but his heart is in the right place as he tries to stop the Nazis from acquiring supernatural power.

Indiana vs. The Nazi Mechanic

We love an extended mano a mano fight, don’t we, folks? One of cinema’s greatest is the showdown between Indiana Jones and the unnamed Nazi mechanic in Raiders Of The Lost Ark. Indy is physically outmatched in the conflict, but he is much better able to use his surroundings to his advantage. As the two men fight around the wheels and wings of a plane, only our protagonist has the situational awareness to avoid being slaughtered by an active propeller.

Going Under And Back Into A Truck As It Drives

This is perhaps the ultimate Indiana Jones action movement. He gets kicked out of the windshield of an in-motion truck, clings to the grill, ends up crawling underneath the vehicle, uses his whip to get dragged behind it, and then climbs back into the cab so that he can take out the driver. The cherry on top? The driver tries to pull off the same move as Indy, but he isn’t Indiana, so he just ends up dying.

“It's Not The Years, Honey; It's The Mileage.”

Given the longevity of the Indiana Jones franchise, it’s funny that the very first movie includes a line about his age and being worn down by his adventures – but it also sums up the ethos of the protagonist as a forever champion of history and ancient artifacts.

“Marion, Don't Look At It. Shut Your Eyes, Marion. Don't Look At It, No Matter What Happens!”

How does Indiana Jones know that not looking at the opened Ark Of The Covenant will allow him and Marion to survive the horrors that are unleashed? That isn’t ever made totally clear, but it says something about the reputation of the character that we fully accept it. Given his intellectual prowess and passion, it’s easy to believe that there was a point in his life when he read a special translation in an old book that warned him about the face-melting danger we watch unfold.

Hiding Behind The Rolling Gong To Avoid Gunfire And Jumping Out A Window Through A Number Of Canopies

Indiana Jones knows how to accept gifts from the universe when they are given, and he and Willie Scott get a bunch of them in the first scene of Temple Of Doom. First, Indy is protected from machine gun fire by a massive, rolling gong, and then, when he and Willie have to jump out of a window, their fall is softened by a series of canopies.

Jumps Out Of A Crashing Plane On An Emergency Raft And Slides Down A Mountain Into A River

Things don’t start off easy for Indiana Jones in Temple Of Doom, first he is poisoned and shot at, and then he has to improvise an escape from a pilotless plane – which he does with aplomb thanks to some nifty thinking with an emergency raft.

Risking His Arm To Save His Hat

It’s impossible to imagine Indiana Jones without his iconic fedora, but that would have been the case in both Raiders Of The Lost Ark and The Last Crusade had the adventurer not rescued the hat in the prequel Temple Of Doom.

“It's Okay, Kid. It's Me.”

It hurts one’s soul to see Indiana Jones under the thrall of Mola Ram and preparing Willie for sacrifice in Temple Of Doom, but everything becomes better in an instant when Indy quietly confesses to Short Round that he has his mind back – and he successfully uses duplicity to help win the day.

The Mining Belt Battle

Indiana Jones is a fighter who knows how to best take advantage of his environment, and he puts that skill to good use while dealing with a muscly opponent in Mola Ram’s army. Intelligent use of a pair of buckets leads to the guy dying like a Looney Tunes character.

Indiana Jones: Expert Mining Cart Driver

Most of us would probably act a lot like Willie Scott (which is to say mindlessly screaming) while the heroes try and make their great escape in the third act of Temple Of Doom, but Indiana Jones not only keeps his cool, but exposes a special skill: he’s really good at piloting a mining cart.

“Mola Ram! Prepare To Meet Kali... In Hell!”

In most situations, cutting down a rope bridge that you are presently standing on is a truly terrible idea, but Indiana Jones is a character you can trust when he takes extreme action – and he has the wherewithal to deliver a badass line in the process.

Boy Scout Indy Tries To Protect An Artifact

The Indiana Jones movie series primarily focuses on the eponymous character’s adventures as an adult, but the opening sequence of The Last Crusade shows that he has been a hero for history almost his entire life. Even as a kid he was trying to protect artifacts from those who don’t deserve to have them.

“It Belongs In A Museum!”

This line from The Last Crusade has become a meme/the subject of satire, but it is wonderfully emblematic of Indiana Jones’ ethics. He doesn’t seek personal fortune and fame; he simply wants artifacts of historical significance to be in the hands of people who can properly study them in order to achieve a greater understanding of their existence.

Finding The Catacomb Beneath The Library In Venice

Robert Langdon has nothing on Indiana Jones. In this particular sequence from The Last Crusade, he admittedly gets a leg up thanks to notes by his father, but he does a wonderful bit of puzzle-solving to discover the catacomb beneath the library in Venice, Italy.

“Don’t Call Me Junior!”

We can all get a bit indignant when our parents treat us like children, but a very small number get the opportunity to demonstrate their personal value and capability by gunning down a troop of Nazis while rejecting an infantilizing nickname.

Motorcycle Jousting

Indiana Jones has a lot of cool tricks up his sleeve (as I’ve highlighted in this feature), but this is arguably his most fun. Involved in a chase with a bunch of Nazis on motorcycles, Indy gets creative and uses a flagpole as a jousting lance. One would think that he would do quite well if he were to ever time travel back to the age of King Arthur.

“No ticket!”

Improvisational acting isn’t one of Indiana Jones’ greatest skills (see: his failing undercover act while invading the Nazi castle in The Last Crusade), but he certainly does a beautiful job covering after he throws Walter Donovan from a zeppelin window – as evidenced by everyone quickly presenting their ticket to him.

Stealing A Nazi Plane From A Nazi Zeppelin

It takes a lot of guts to sneak aboard a Nazi Zeppelin, but it takes even more guts to then join your father in stealing a plane that’s hitched to the vessel. That’s a thing that legends do, and Indiana Jones is most definitely a legend.

Races A Luftwaffe Plane Through A Tunnel

Long before Ethan Hunt battled with a helicopter atop a train in a tunnel in Mission: Impossible, Indiana Jones was being awesome and racing a car against a diving Luftwaffe plane in The Last Crusade. He shows some serious handling skills.

Winning In A Battle Of Horse Vs. Tank

On paper, a matchup between a guy on horseback and a bunch of Nazis in a tank shouldn’t register as a fair fight, but the equation changes when the guy on horseback is Indiana Jones. He uses not just nimbleness and speed to his advantage, but even executes some cartoon-like moves jamming the barrel of a gun with a rock.

Surviving A Tank As It Goes Over A Cliff

For a moment in The Last Crusade, it appears as though Indiana Jones might have died while atop a Nazi tank as it went off a cliff… but to actually think that is to underestimate the character’s awesomeness. Of course he survives by leaping off at the last second and climbing back up the cliff!

The Leap Of Faith

Throughout his adventures, Indiana Jones witnesses a lot of magical, unnatural things – so he arguably has a bit of an advantage in the temple of the Holy Grail in The Last Crusade. After all, he can believe that even though he doesn’t see a bridge that will let him proceed, it might be there. He still has to have serious intestinal fortitude to actually take the step, however, and he demonstrates it.

“That’s The Cup Of A Carpenter”

Cinema history is full of great puzzle-solvers, from Sherlock Holmes to Batman, and Indiana Jones is very much a guy you want to have working with you if you are dealing with a life-or-death brainteaser. He gets his big brain working when he has to pick out the Holy Grail from a sea of cups, and he ends up choosing correctly.

The person you are right now might bear very little resemblance to who you were before, either due to a life-changing event or even just by some natural progression. The same could also be said about many of your favorite characters from the big and small screen as personal evolutions often tend to serve as a major plot point or just happen to occur over time when the writers take one appealing behavioral trait and make that the crux of the role. See if you remember any of these movie and TV characters behaving a different way from how they were first introduced.

Jack Torrance (The Shining)

One of Stephen King’s biggest gripes with Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 adaptation of his book, The Shining, is the casting of Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance, who already boasts a somewhat unsettling disposition the moment he first enters the frame. However, fans of the horror flick find The Overlook’s murderous and maniacal influence over the husband and father to be quite effective.

Walter White (Breaking Bad)

In the first episode of Breaking Bad, high school teacher Walter White (Bryan Cranston) describes chemistry as the study of "transformation." The same could be said about his story, going from a mild-mannered family man diagnosed with lung cancer to a ruthless criminal over the course of five captivating seasons.

Anakin Skywalker (Star Wars Movies)

We could do a whole list of characters from the Star Wars franchise who changed dramatically overtime, but the most legendary instance of this is, without a doubt, Anakin Skywalker. Jake Lloyd portrayed the Tattooine native as a precocious, but good-natured young man with the potential to be a great Jedi Knight, but Hayden Christensen's performance revealed a latent darkness within him that would eventually lead to his destiny as Sith lord, Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones).

Elaine Benes (Seinfeld)

For the first few years of Seinfeld, Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) served as the gang's default voice of reason, with only the occasional lapse of judgment or angry outburst amidst her mild-mannered persona. In the sitcom's latter years, angry outbursts and lapses in moral judgment became some of her more definitive traits.

Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare On Elm Street)

To us, what makes Robert Englund's burned boogeyman one of the all-time greatest horror movie villains is the brutal, menacing nature he exhibited in Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street from 1984. The sequels, however, made Freddy Krueger’s dark sense of humor his defining character trait, resulting in deaths of increasingly ridiculous sort.

Eric Matthews (Boy Meets World)

Will Friedle landed the role in the Boy Meets World cast of the "cool" older brother to the central protagonist, Cory Matthews (Ben Savage). However, at one point, Eric seemed to completely and inexplicably lose his mind, adopting a dim-wit, but a high energy that, essentially, made him the TGIF sitcom's resident cartoon character.

Ash Williams (The Evil Dead Franchise)

Fans of the Evil Dead movies are the first to note that the Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) they know and love is not quite the same person from the 1981 classic that started it all. After suffering the Deadites’ further taunting and being forced to replace his right hand with a chainsaw in Evil Dead II, he turns into the iconic wise-cracking and bumbling, but also resourceful horror movie character from Army of the Darkness and the spin-off series, Ash vs. Evil Dead.

Sansa Stark (Game Of Thrones)

One of the most fascinating character arcs from the Game of Thrones cast is that of Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner). After suffering abuse at the hands of her husband, Bolton Ramsay (Iwan Rheon), the meek, young woman learns that she can only look out for herself in her kill-or-be-killed world, becoming a fierce, vengeful warrior.

Steve Harrington (Stranger Things)

The first season of Stranger Things introduced Steve Harrington (Joe Kerry) as the archetypal '80s high school bully and, in fact, the Duffer Brothers originally wrote him to be even worse. By the end of Season 2, he found friendship with the younger children he looked down on, accepted Nancy's new relationship with Jonathan Byers, and became a favorite among fans of Netflix's smash hit sci-fi series.

Shrek (Shrek)

In 2001's Oscar-winning animated classic, Shrek, Mike Myers' title character owns his reputation as an ogre with his ceaseless grumpiness and preference to be alone. That is, until he meets someone he would like to spend his life with in Fiona (Cameron Diaz), who brings the lovable man out of this monster.

Joey Tribbiani (Friends)

Joey Tribbiani is often referred to as the "dumb" one in the Friends cast but, as real fans should recall, that was not always the case. In the first few seasons, he is depicted as merely naive, only to evolve into a helplessly, but lovably, childlike dolt by the hit NBC sitcom's curtain call.

Harvey Dent (The Dark Knight)

Die-hard Batman fans immediately knew that idealistic Gotham DA Harvey Dent's (Aaron Eckhart) philosophy about dying a hero or living long enough to become the villain was foreshadowing his own destiny as Two-Face in 2008's The Dark Knight. Losing the love of his life, Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), and half of his face drives him to the opposite side of the law, leaving his moral judgment, literally, to the flip of a coin.

Thor (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Chris Hemsworth's Thor undergoes one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's most transformative character arcs, boasting a godly eloquence and wisdom in his first few appearances. However, Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Endgame made the God of Thunder a bit funnier, and to much acclaim, but 2022's Thor: Love and Thunder took that schtick even further, resorting him to something of a dim-witted, egotistical jock.

Ned Flanders (The Simpsons)

Voiced by Harry Shearer, Ned Flanders' arc on The Simpsons from being Homer Simpson's complete opposite — an intelligent, hard-working, devoted family man — to an absurdly conservative, religious fundamentalist is a quintessential example of extreme or merely exaggerated TV character changes. In fact, this exact phenomenon has been nicknamed "Flanderization" as a result.

Beast/Prince Adam (Beauty And The Beast)

Disney's animated 1991 favorite, Beauty and the Beast is just one version of an age-old, signature tale of drastic character growth, namely that of the titular Beast, who used to be a selfish human royal named Adam. A witch cursed him to look like a ferocious creature, only to be turned back when he could find someone (Belle) to love him, which was only possible when he learned to love someone other than himself. 

Michael Scott (The Office)

In the first season of NBC's American update of The Office, Michael Scott (Steve Carell) was, essentially, made to be a carbon copy of the uproariously rude and self-absorbed David Brent, played by Ricky Gervais in the original British version. However, Dunder-Mifflin's Scranton branch Manager was later reinvented as a kindhearted soul cursed with social awkwardness and hopeless incompetence.

Michael Corleone (The Godfather)

At the beginning of the first half of Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of Mario Puzo's The Godfather, Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) reveals to his girlfriend, Kay (Diane Keaton), his family’s mafia history, but assures her, "That’s my family... that's not me." However, a rival mob's attempt to murder his father (Marlon Brando) awakens a coldness within him and, eventually, he is put in charge of the family business.

T-800 (Terminator 2: Judgment Day)

To be clear, we are not counting Arnold Schwarzenegger's role in James Cameron's sci-fi franchise for his evolution from killer in The Terminator to protector in the 1991 sequel, because he is playing a different copy of the same model in each film. However, the cyborg begins to take on some surprising human-like characteristics in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and may have even developed some capacity for emotion, evidenced by when he tells John Connor (Edward Furlong), "I know now why you cry," before saying farewell.

Jen (Revenge)

In just one night, Jen (Matilda Lutz) was no longer a naive, carefree young woman and was reborn into a fierce warrior of the desert. All it took was a horrifying assault and subsequent murder attempt by her boyfriend and his business partners, on which she deservedly exacted revenge — hence the title of Coralie Fargeat's 2018 adrenaline-pumping thriller.

Neville Longbottom (Harry Potter Movies)

Never could Harry Potter fans been able to guess that Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis) would turn out to play a pivotal and courageous role in the fight against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. During his first year at Hogwarts, the young wizard was one of the school's most helplessly clumsy students.

Cosmo Kramer (Seinfeld)

Michael Richards' role in the Seinfeld cast — Jerry's eccentric, high-energy neighbor — is not the person he was in the pilot episode, and not just because he was called "Kessler" then. At that time, the man who would be known as Kramer was a slow-witted, meandering oaf who never even left his apartment.

Marcus Brody (The Indiana Jones Movies)

Despite having a much smaller role in 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark, it is clear that Marcus Brody (Denholm Elliott) was intended to be a competent authority figure who may have even been more like Harrison Ford's daring archeologist in his youth. However, in 1989's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, he is portrayed as the absent-minded comic relief who "got lost in his own museum once."

Drax (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Although Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) is unable to recognize sarcasm or any non-literal language, he boasts an intimidating stoicism that, in addition to his heft and strength, makes him the most fearsome member of the Guardians of the Galaxy in their 2014 cinematic debut. In later MCU installments, however, his stoicism is thrown completely out the window in favor of comically exaggerating his social shortcomings, making him more of a lovable man-child.

Winston Bishop (New Girl)

When Lamorne Morris joined the New Girl cast as Winston, he did not seem like much more than a basic fill-in for Coach, boasting some of the same characteristics as Damon Wayans Jr.'s role. Over time, however, Winston really came into his own, proving to be one of the loft's most sincere and multi-layered residents.

Carol Peletier (The Walking Dead)

Early on, fans of The Walking Dead probably would have bet that Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride) was the least likely to survive in a world overrun with the dead. However, it was clear by Season 3 that the apocalypse and other tragic circumstances — most notably the death of her daughter, Sophia — only made her a stronger person who would even go to unimaginable lengths to survive.

Cady Heron (Mean Girls)

After initially conspiring against Regina George (Rachel McAdams) by infiltrating her clique, Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) begins to act more and more like the self-absorbed popular girl and even becomes the Plastics' default replacement leader. Luckily, the mathlete rediscovers her true self by the end of Mean Girls after learning some much-needed lessons about the high school social scene.

Sandy Olsson (Grease)

Grease is a coming-of-age musical classic about two people who could not be more different trying to rekindle their summertime romance by being more like the other. Ultimately, it is Australian-born Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) who sheds her "good girl" reputation for greaser Danny Zuko (John Travolta), who mostly stays the same by the end.

Topanga Lawrence (Boy Meets World)

There are quite a few notable examples of Boy Meets World characters undergoing dramatic changes, but one of the more drastic and sudden is that of Topanga Matthews (née Lawrence). Danielle Fishel's character was introduced as an eccentric flower child, but evolved into a perfectly average (but also highly motivated) student by her freshman year of high school.

Leslie Knope (Parks and Recreation)

On Parks and Recreation, Leslie Knope's bubbly, kindhearted personality almost convinces you that there are career politicians worth trusting and even having as a friend. However, when the mockumentary series first debuted, she was more like the kind of career politician that SNL (speaking of Amy Poehler) loves to mock.

Eli Moskowitz (Cobra Kai)

On Cobra Kai, Eli Moskowitz (Jacob Bertrand) is first introduced as a shy kid who is regularly bullied for his cleft lip, which is what inspires him to take martial arts lessons in the first place. As his skills begin to develop, so does the confidence of this formidable fighter, who also later goes by the nickname Hawk.

Luke Hobbs (The Fast And Furious Movies)

When Dwayne Johnson joined the Fast and Furious franchise as Luke Hobbs, he played the DSS Agent with an earnest, no-nonsense demeanor that perfectly juxtaposed the series’ increasingly absurd tone. Over time, however, the character seemed to swerve into the skid and played along with the jokes with a sense of humor that resembles most of the wrestler-turned-actor's roles since.

Derek Vinyard (American History X)

In American History X, the murder of his firefighter father (William Russ) by a Black man inspires Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton) to become a murderous skinhead, eventually leading him to incarceration. When he is released, he has thankfully let go of his prejudices but then must prevent his younger brother, Danny (Edward Furlong), from going down the same violent, hateful path.

While some of these characters changed for the better, there are quite a few that we might say changed for the worse. Either way, for the most part, it made for some great entertainment at the movies or from your television screen.

Harrison Ford’s time playing Indiana Jones may be over, but he’ll never be fully able to leave the character behind him. To be fair, this and Han Solo are his most famous roles, so naturally he can only go so long without people mentioning them to him. But as Ford has joked, John Williams’ Indiana Jones theme music also follows him wherever he goes, including his “last colonoscopy.”

The actor shared this amusing experience as part of a profile written by Variety about Williams, who’s been scoring music in movies since the late 1950s, won five Academy Awards over the course of his career and been nominated 49 other times, most recently for his work on 2023’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (which can be streamed with a Disney+ subscription). Ford recalled:

While I can’t say it with 100% certainty, this feels intentional. If Harrison Ford is in the operating table, you’re telling me John Williams’ Indiana Jones theme was just coincidentally playing. Sure, there might be a slim chance of that, but I’m more inclined to think one of the surgeons or medical staff in the room at that time deliberately turned it on, much to Ford’s chagrin. Sure it’s one of the most iconic pieces of cinematic orchestral music, but I doubt it’s something he wants to hear as he’s going through this kind of medical procedure.

Ignoring that incident though, Harrison Ford thinks quite fondly of John Williams, calling him a “gracious, gracious guy” later on in the Variety piece. In fact, along with flying planes and going fly-fishing, the man who played Henry Jones Jr. in five movies and a guest appearance on The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles also likes to attend Williams’ scoring sessions for fun, saying:

Even though Harrison Ford is done with the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, my fingers are crossed that he’ll be able to act in at least one more movie that John Williams scores. After all, last December, the composer sounded like he was still interested in making music rather than retire, as had previously been indicated. Here’s a thought: if Williams is looking to contribute to another major franchise, now that Ford is playing Thunderbolt Ross in the MCU, maybe it can be arranged to have Williams score one of the actor’s upcoming Marvel movies, assuming he’s lined up for more appearances after Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts, which I suspect already have composers lined up.

We’ll find out if John Williams takes home the Best Original Score Oscar this year when the 96th Academy Awards air next Sunday, March 10 on ABC; Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’s competition includes American Fiction, Killers of the Flower Moon, Oppenheimer and Poor Things. As for Harrison Ford, he’ll debut as Thunderbolt Ross when Captain America 4 opens on February 14, 2025.

Jeff Dunham is back at Comedy Central with another first-of-its-kind special: I’m With Cupid. If you’re vaguely interested in comedy or ventriloquism, chances are you know the name. Dunham has been in the game for a staggering 53 years, having started with “dummies,” or as he also calls them, “the little people in the box,” at just nine years old. This multifaceted guy also designs and builds his own dummies, leaving plenty of fodder in his path for creative thieves to be inspired by. According to Dunham, this also includes the Disney parks, who he thinks may have been a little too “inspired” by his famous dummy, Achmed.

I recently caught up with Jeff Dunham to discuss I’m With Cupid, and when we stumbled on the subject of being ripped off by other creative entities, he said this about Disneyland:

I don’t know, man… the designs are similar, but is it enough to say that one could have borrowed from the other? The Indiana Jones ride came about in 1995, and it’s too classic to change, so chances are that skeleton design has been the same since. Then again, who knows? Not that Dunham was angry about it, as he went on to explain that he was flattered:

It’s crazy to think that Jeff Dunham has the time to knock out record-breaking comedy specials on a regular basis, as he is constantly touring, with dates going well into next year. That's not to mention his appearances on several television shows, including The Masked Singer, during which he was aptly paired with a puppet.

That is just another symbol of how effectively Dunham changed the game for ventriloquist/comedians everywhere, having paved the way for the likes of Darcy Lynne and Terry Fator. He is also on our list of one of the best comedy specials to stream on Amazon Prime, even though he doesn’t really consider himself to be a comedian, and would never release a straight stand-up special.

It’s good news for those of us who need their fix of the little people in the box, as Jeff Dunham’s new special I’m With Cupid premieres on Comedy Central tomorrow, February 3, at 8 PM ET. It's a solid way to kick off some comedy for the 2024 TV schedule. 

Like many other fans, whenever I think about attempting to watch the Indiana Jones movies, I’m reminded of the disappointment that called itself Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Admittedly, there’s a mixed bag of reactions out there pertaining to director James Mangold’s cinematic capstone. That’s the same sort of climate that usually surrounds licensed video games, like Bethesda’s new Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

The big difference is, even with only the first trailer to go by, I’m already into this uncanny valley return of Harrison Ford’s archaeologist/action hero. Released by Bethesda Softworks today, our first look at this midquel adventure already looks like way more fun than the fifth Indy movie. Sending us back to 1937, a time where Dr. Jones is still fighting the Nazis and Marcus Brody is still alive, this is our hero back in his prime.

That’s only part of the excitement, as Bethesda’s 2021 announcement of this Indiana Jones game looks to have yielded an adventure that could be the most action packed game in this Lucasfilm property. Although, the more I think about the past of Indy games and Bethesda’s recent track record, the more I’m starting to level out all of this enthusiasm with some serious questions.

I’m mainly interested in how Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is already being promised for a 2024 release after only being announced in 2021. Game development isn’t exactly as clockwork or as relatively short as moviemaking, and three years seems quick, but doable. Though the fact that Project 007’s 2020 announcement still hasn’t yielded many answers, or a release date surrounding the James Bond video game, makes this happening look a bit rushed by comparison. 

Not to mention, Bethesda has kind of landed itself in hot water over the past couple of years. With its launches of ambitious titles like Fallout ‘76 and more recently Starfield, the company’s reputation has been a bit tarnished thanks to severely buggy products. Which only makes me further wonder about the quality of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, as three years is nothing compared to the extended history behind Starfield’s development.

I’m still positive about this new ride with Indy, as bringing him back for a caper in between Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is the right move. Focusing itself in between two of the more beloved entries in the canon, there seems to be potential for Indiana to return to the magic that made us all love him to begin with. 

Also, with the addition of Locus, a villain or henchman played by the legendary Tony Todd, that’s just enough to swing me back over to being excited about the wait ahead. Still, if it's all the same to you, dear readers, I think I'll hold onto my hat a little tighter until we get a closer look at what to expect. 

No matter which Indiana Jones era you favor, or what film is your favorite, you can in the same streaming home. And what’s great about that is that you don’t need to brush up on your Charlamagne to so do! All you need is the power of a Disney+ subscription, and the whole smash is up for grabs. 

Gamers looking forward to becoming Indy themselves will have to keep their eyes peeled though, as Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is set to be released in an undisclosed date in 2024. We'll see if that timeframe sticks, even if this launch will be limited to XBox Series X/S and PC users, for the time being.

While opinions are probably still divided on whether Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was a 2023 movie release schedule triumph or an absolute flop, there are some things we can all agree on. One of those very subjects would probably be how we all wish Ke Huy Quan’s Short Round had returned to team up with Harrison Ford’s embattled archeologist one last time. 

Well, thanks to a piece of concept art, the boys are back and fighting zombies in a movie I really would have loved to see happen. ILM concept artist Saby Menyhei recently shared a “personal piece” to Instagram, through which we now know what this hypothetical Indiana Jones sequel could have looked like. Try not to fall too hard for the full piece, as well as two closes ups of Indy and Short Round in action, included below:

Look at that fortune and glory, kids. Seeing Indy with a raised fist and a glowing staff, beside Short Round high-kicking a zombie away from his person, is a concept we could all get behind. You can practically hear John Williams’ Indiana Jones theme music looking at this picture too, and that’s regardless of where your personal Indiana Jones movie ranking puts this much-maligned prequel.

Storywise, Indy and Short Round’s reunion almost 40 years after Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom would have made so much sense. Both men would have been very different from the last time they’d met, and watching them learn that fact would have been great ground for some classic comedy. Also, any plot device that could technically help sidestep the horrific off-screen fate of Shia LaBeouf’s Mutt detailed in Dial of Destiny would have been exceedingly welcomed.

At the same time, Ke Huy Quan’s reaction to his fans wanting him to return in Indiana Jones 5 says it all. His trepidation in potentially disappointing his fans shows that despite heartfelt reunions with Harrison Ford, being asked back for another ride would have been a difficult decision. And as anyone invested in pop culture icons such as this franchise knows, that’s an obstacle that even the most penitent person would have a hard time passing. 

Still, looking at this Indiana Jones art inspires visions of what could have been. Much like the hidden treasures of antiquity, images such as this can only suggest what we aren’t there to see. Thankfully, this Indiana Jones/Short Round fan art won’t cause anyone to melt away or age rapidly upon looking at it. However, it may inspire a sense of longing similar to Indy’s big Dial of Destiny decision, and with just as much of a need to return to reality before it’s too late.

Which is as good a time as any to remind you folks at home that the entire Indiana Jones saga, including Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, is currently streaming in one place. So feel free to seek out all the fortune, glory and snakes you want via your access to a Disney+ subscription. 

We all watch action movies for the... well, action. But we also watch actions for the memorable lines that they produce. The lines that we trade back and forth with friends for a laugh, or to make a point. Great lines in action movies can even be more quotable than those in comedies. So here are our choices for some of the best quotes from action movies that never get old. 

"I feel the need... the need for speed!" - Top Gun

Maverick (Tom Cruise) and Goose (Anthony Edwards) in Top Gun are a classic action movie duo. As best friends and work buddies, they do everything together and nothing sums up their friendship better than this line, as the adrenaline courses through their bodies after a flight in their F-14 Tomcats and they do the cool double high five thing. 

"100% pure adrenalin" - Point Break

The Kathryn Bigalow-directed cult classic Point Break wasn't the easiest film to get made, but it's turned into a stone-cold classic. It has some of the most quotable lines from any movie of its era and the line Bohdi (Patrick Swayze) delivers to Johnny (Keanu Reeves) tops the list. 

"Get to da choppah!" - Predator

You know a quote has made the big time when it becomes one of the biggest memes around, and "Get to da choppah!" from Predator has certainly achieved that. The Arnold Schwarzenegger quote is so meme-able, in fact, that it has surpassed the movie that it comes from in popularity and gets tacked on to lots of different Schwarzenegger faces across the internet. 

"When you pray for rain, you gotta deal with the mud too." - The Equalizer

Robert McCall, the protagonist in The Equalizer franchise is as thoughtful as he is dangerous. When you've got an actor like Denzel Washington delivering the lines, you know they will be cool and quotable, just like this gem from the first movie. 

"The name is Bond, James Bond." - James Bond Series

James Bond has given us some of the most iconic lines in action movie history. "Shaken, not stirred," and all his quips after baddies get their comeuppance are classics. Nothing is more iconic though, than the way he introduces himself. It may be the most legendary line in all of cinema.  

"I'll be back." - The Terminator

Arnold Schwarzenegger has used the line "I'll be back" in at least eight of his films, but it all started with that confrontation at the police station in The Terminator (1984).  It has also been used in multiple movies in the Terminator franchise, said by other characters. It's incredible that the line almost didn't happen that way when Schwarzenegger suggested "I will be back," instead. Thankfully director James Cameron didn't let him change the script and movie history was born. 

"You've never seen me very upset." - Mission: Impossible

This is one of those lines you feel like anyone could use in everyday life. The Mission: Impossible series has grown into one of the most successful franchises of all time, but it's way back in the very first one that provided the series' most iconic line. 

"Warriors, come out and play." - The Warriors

One of the biggest cult classics of all time is undoubtedly The Warriors (1979). While it's filled with quotable lines, none are more so than this one, which comes towards the end, as the titular gang makes it back to their home turf at Coney Island only to find Luther (David Patrick Kelly) and his rival gang, The Rogues, waiting for them. Clink, clink, clink...

"You've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?" - Dirty Harry

Clint Eastwood's character "Dirty" Harry Callahan is one bad man. He carries a lot of firepower and he's not afraid to use it. He proves that in the very beginning of the first film in the series, Dirty Harry asks a would-be bank robber how lucky he feels. 

"Welcome to the party, pal." - Die Hard

Everyone's favorite Christmas action movie is Die Hard. In a lot of ways, it defines the modern breed of action movie, and a big part of that is all of John McClane's (Bruce Willis) quips, like the one he utters after shooting up Powell's (Reginald VelJohnson) car.

"Yeah, I guess I'm back." - John Wick

All John Wick (Keanu Reeves) wanted to do was live his life in peace after leaving the underworld. Unfortunately, his plans didn't work out. When asked if he was getting back into the game, he reluctantly replied with this now-iconic line.

"They drew first blood" - First Blood

It's the line that basically launched a franchise. When cornered in a cave, John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) tells his former commanding officer Col. Trautman (Richard Crenna) why he's doing what he's doing. We get our first glimpse into what drives the now-iconic character. 

"I have a bad feeling about this." - Star Wars

The most iconic franchise of all time deserves one of the most iconic catchphrases of all time and Star Wars has it. "I've got a bad feeling about this" is said in every Star Wars film and is part of most of the canon outside of film as well. Naturally, it was first uttered by the biggest character in the series, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) in the very first movie as they first approach the Death Star. 

"I would like to have seen Montana." - The Hunt For Red October

The Hunt For Red October is one of Sean Connery's best movies, but it's Sam Neill's character Vasily who has the best line. After explaining early in the movie that he wants to settle in Montana after the crew arrives in America, it's what's on his mind when he meets his demise. 

"Say hello to my little friend!" - Scarface

In the decades since Tony Montana (Al Pacino) first yelled this line at the police bringing him down, it's become one of the most quoted lines from any action movie ever. It works for so many occasions, not just police raids. 

"Hasta la Vista, Baby." - Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Arnold Schwarzenegger is always good for a great catchphrase and in Terminator 2: Judgment Day that line is something he learns from young John Connor. It's a way Connor hopes will make him more laid back. It doesn't make the terminator more relaxed, but it does work to make him sound pretty cool. 

"Game over, man. Game over." - Aliens

The great Bill Paxton was taken from us way too young, but not before he delivered this no iconic line from Aliens. When everything seems to be lost, and the alien is closing in on the remaining people left, Paxton's character Hudson delivers this line with a level of fear that everyone watching feels. 

"Khaaaaan!" - Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan

It's the line that has launched a million memes. Who doesn't know this iconic line from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan? The answer is nobody. William Shatner's James T. Kirk will live well into the far future, and this one line will always be a part of that legacy. 

"Go ahead, make my day." - Sudden Impact

In the fourth Dirty Harry movie, Sudden Impact, Clint Eastwood, as Dirty Harry Callahan, utters one of the most famous, and quoted, lines in movie history. The line was written by John Milius, a well known script doctor who also wrote some of the most famous lines in Jaws and The Hunt For Red October. 

"Welcome to the Rock" - The Rock

Sean Connery is responsible for an endless amount of great lines. Even in movies that aren't among his best reviewed, like The Rock, he still delivers. After he and Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage) land on Alcatraz Island, Connery's Mason welcomes him to the island Mason called home for a time. 

"Never change the deal." - The Transporter

Frank (Jason Statham) is the best getaway driver in the world in The Transporter and as a driver-for-hire, he has three rules. No names, never look in the package, but #1 and most importantly, "Never change the deal." The man is not only a great driver, but he's true to his word and if you hire him, you better be too. 

"I'm dropping the hammer!" - Days Of Thunder

Director Tony Scott teamed up again with Tom Cruise after Top Gun for Days of Thunder, which was pretty much Top Gun in a race car. The action sequences are amazing, and the dialog produced one true classic when Cruise's Cole Trickle decides to go for it on a practice lap. 

"I expect and demand your very best. Anything less, you should have joined the Air Force." - Crimson Tide

Crimson Tide has a lot of great dialogue between submarine captain, Frank Ramsey (Gene Hackman) and his XO, Lieutenant Commander Ron Hunter (Denzel Washington), but it's a line very early in the movie that sums up how the naval captain feels about serving on a submarine. He wants and expects only the best. 

"I hate snakes." - Indiana Jones and The Raiders Of The Lost Ark

There isn't much that stresses the great Indiana Jones out in Raiders of the Lost Ark, except one thing. Little does he know that later in his adventure he will face hundreds of snakes when he jumps in the prop plane at the beginning and finds one harmless snake in his seat, and lets the pilot know how he feels about the reptiles. 

"Put... the bunny... back... in the box." - Con Air 

In Con Air Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage) is a paroled prisoner on his final flight back home after serving an 8-year-sentence. He's bringing home a present for his daughter, a stuffed bunny. It's the most important thing to him on the "con air" flight and everyone knows it when he explains where the stuffed animal needs to go. 

"I Live My Life a Quarter Mile at a Time." - The Fast And The Furious

It can't be argued that the Fast and Furious franchise isn't one of the biggest of all time. It also can't be argued that it hasn't produced some iconic lines, none of which are more famous than when Dominic Toretto explains to Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) how he lives his life. It's not day to day or hour to hour; it's a quarter mile at a time. 

"That Woman Deserves Her Revenge." - Kill Bill

There is one thing on Beatrix's (Uma Thurman) mind in Kill Bill: revenge. Bill (David Carradine) wants to stop her, but another member of their former crew, Budd (Michael Madsen) has other thoughts. He thinks she's justified in her anger. It sums up the whole movie in one sentence.

"You take the red pill - you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes." - The Matrix

What if I told you that the line most people think is the most famous line from The Matrix isn't actually in The Matrix? That's right, Morpheus (Lawrence Fishburne) never says the line that has been made famous in memes. He does, however, utter the famous line about what the red pill can do for someone.

"The action is the juice." - Heat

When Heat first came out in 1995, it was the epitome of cool. Tom Sizemore's character, Michael Cheritto, was part of the very cool crew led by Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro). When Neil asks Michael if he's up for the bank robbery, Michael says yes, and tells him why: it's what he lives for. 

"You know you drive almost slow enough to drive Miss Daisy." - Bad Boys

We've all been there. There is nothing worse than getting impatient with a slow driver and in 1995's Bad Boys, Michael (Will Smith) lets his new partner Marcus (Martin Lawrence) have it when he gets fed up with what he thinks is slow driving. It's a line that would have been way out of place if the original casting ideas hadn't changed.  

"What a lovely day." - Mad Max: Fury Road

Mad Max: Fury Road was an instant classic and while there isn't a whole lot of dialogue (who needs it?), there is one very famous line yelled by Nux (Nicholas Hoult) as the army or cars scream across the desert in one of the coolest car chase sequences ever filmed. 

"You're the disease, and I'm the cure." - Cobra

In the mid-'80s, Sly Stallone made a lot of cool movies, with a lot of cool lines. One of the most under-appreciated movies is Cobra, which he wrote based on the original script for Beverly Hills Cop, believe it or not. The best line in that script explains the main character's entire ethos. 

You can't have a great action movie without great dialogue and this list proves it. 

What do all-time great sci-fi movies like Star Wars and Jurassic Park, the Harry Potter film franchise, and quite a few Best Picture winners have in common? If you guessed they are all considered some of the best films of all time, you’d technically be correct, but that’s not the answer we’re looking for. If you guessed they all feature tremendous scores composed by John Williams, you’re in for a real treat. Below is a list of 32 great movies featuring the work of the Academy Award-winning composer, including several of his collaborations with Steven Spielberg.

Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)

It is hard to imagine a world in which anyone but John Williams composed the Star Wars score, and luckily, we don’t have to experience that dark reality. His score, which won him an Oscar, brings so much pomp and circumstance to George Lucas’ epic space opera, and it all starts with the brilliant and iconic “Main Title” sequence. But the real crown jewel is the “Binary Sunset” moment as Luke Skywalker (Mark Hammill) ponders his future.

Jaws (1975)

Steven Spielberg’s Jaws is still considered one of the best movies of all time nearly 50 years after its release, and the legendary blockbuster is made even better thanks to John Williams’ score, which earned the composer an Oscar. The simple yet effective opening theme, with its pounding piano and orchestration, sets the stage for what’s to come spectacularly in addition to providing one of cinema’s scariest moments.

Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)

In addition to kicking off the Indiana Jones franchise, Steven Spielberg’s Raiders of the Lost Ark also features one of John Williams’ most well-known tracks: the “Raiders March.” It’s hard not to see Harrison Ford’s beloved character swinging, swashbuckling, and fighting Nazis whenever this composition comes on.

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

Though composers like Patrick Doyle, Nicholas Hooper, and Alexandre Desplat would go on to provide the music for later films in the franchise,  John Williams kicked things off with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Several of the songs featured in Chris Columbus’ 2001 fantasy film have gone on to become some of Williams’ most popular tracks, including “Hedwig’s Theme.”

Jurassic Park (1993)

The Jurassic Park score, which features some of John Williams' best work, is a tour de force that captures a range of feelings, much like the 1993 dinosaur movie it accompanies. Essentially every track is noteworthy, especially the triumphant main theme and the more subdued “Welcome to Jurassic Park,” which plays during the movie’s more emotional moments.

Schindler's List (1993)

Just like director Steven Spielberg, John Williams pulled double-duty in 1993 with the releases of the huge movies Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List, which would go on to win the Oscar for Best Picture. The violin in the score’s main theme adds a great deal of weight and emotion to this brilliant yet harrowing Holocaust drama.

Home Alone (1990)

In 1990, John Williams got the opportunity to write a score for one of the best Christmas movies of all time, Home Alone, which allowed him to create some of the best tracks of his career. From the outstanding title sequence to the poignant “Somewhere in My Memory,” the compositions hit you right in the heart. Oh, and let’s not forget the epic “Setting the Traps” sequence.

Superman (1978)

The main title march in Richard Donner’s Superman is not only one of John Williams’ best creations, but it’s also in the running for one of the best superhero movie songs ever. It’s so triumphant, pure, and magical. Not even kryptonite could slow this track down. 

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace may not be high up in our Star Wars rankings, but George Lucas’ 1999 prequel did give us the epic “Duel of the Fates” track that plays during the film’s final lightsaber fight. The instrumentals are one thing, but the resounding performance from the London Voices is so good you have to let the Sequel Trilogy’s transgressions go.

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

A movie that should have won Best Picture, Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan featured another superb collaboration between the director and John Williams. The beloved composer starts with the wonderfully constructed “Hymn to the Fallen,” which carries weight and sounds similar to Aaron Copland’s iconic “Fanfare for the Common Man.”

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Few movies capture the awe and innocence of childhood better than Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and a lot of that has to do with John Williams’ lights-out score. Like, can you imagine the bicycle escape sequence without his composition blaring in the background as Elliott (Henry Thomas) and E.T. fly past the moon?

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

In addition to being considered the best sequel of all time, The Empire Strikes Back also gave the universe one of the franchise’s most recognizable and menacing tracks, “The Imperial March.” In the 40-plus years since the film’s release, John Williams’ additions to the Star Wars score, including “Yoda’s Theme,” have become major parts of the beloved series.

Born Of The Fourth Of July (1989)

Oliver Stone’s heartbreaking chronicling of the life of Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise) in Born on the Fourth of July is made all the more impactful by John Williams’ masterful score. At times beautiful and others gutting, the compositions, like the movie they accompany, perfectly capture the emotions of an idealistic man reborn after being discarded by his country.

Lincoln (2012)

The subtle, somber, and sentimental tones of John Williams’ Lincoln score helped make the 2012 drama about the passage of the 13th Amendment all the more impactful. There are some loud moments, but the soundtrack is carried by those slower and quiet segments, which make the film one of Steven Spielberg’s best movies.

JFK (1991)

Oliver Stone’s 1991 conspiracy/legal drama, JFK, gave us one of John Williams’ best scores up to that point in his career, which is saying a lot considering everything he had done up to that point. There’s a combination of genres featured throughout the soundtrack that add weight and prestige to this twist-filled thriller.

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)

John Williams’ score for Close Encounters of the Third Kind, a movie that came six months after Star Wars changed the industry, features a lot of the composer’s touchstones, including increasingly intricate anticipatory tracks that build to loud and triumphant orchestrations that hit with so much weight. And then there’s the “Wild Signals” moment when humans and aliens interact.

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

One of the best 2000s movies, Catch Me If You Can also features some of John Williams’ finest work of the 21st century. This is especially true when it comes to the enchanting title sequence with its mid-century animations and an almost jazz-infused orchestration. The rest of the movie about con artist Frank Abagnale (Leonardo DiCaprio) is great, but this opening number is the stuff of art.

The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

In the early 1970s, John William provided the score for The Poseidon Adventure, an incredible disaster film about a capsized ship and a group of passengers as they attempt to reach safety. Just like Gene Hackman’s performance, Williams’ compositions are outstanding throughout the movie.

War Of The Worlds (2005)

When it came time for Steven Spielberg to adapt War of the Worlds into a terrifying big-budget sci-fi thriller, it had to be John Williams sitting in the composer’s chair. The film’s terrifying moments, as well as its more emotional sequences, are made all the better thanks to Williams’ touch.

The Fabelmans (2022)

One of the best movies of 2022, Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama, The Fabelmans, was an outstanding addition to the filmmaker’s rich filmography, and his most personal film in years. And who accompanied Spielberg on this journey through his formative years? Well, none other than John Williams.

Memoirs Of A Geisha (2005)

Rob Marshall’s 2005 period drama, Memoirs of a Geisha, may not be the first movie to come to mind when discussing John Williams scores, but this Academy Award winner does feature some great compositions from the legendary composer. The opening track, “Sayuri’s Theme,” named after Zhang Ziyi’s character, combines the East and West to create a unique and sonically pleasing experience.

Fiddler On The Roof (1972)

Considered one of the best movie musicals, Fiddler on the Roof is an epic everyone should enjoy at least once in their life. The story, performances, and production design are all incredible, as is John Williams’ adaptation of the Broadway hit’s wonderful score.

Munich (2005)

Steven Spielberg’s 2005 historical drama, Munich, which dramatized the Mossad assassinations in the fallout of the 1972 Munich Massacre, was another one of the filmmaker’s movies to feature the work of John Williams. The orchestrations, combined with the use of the “wailing woman” singing technique added a heightened sense of drama and urgency to the film’s more intense moments.

Amistad (1997)

John Williams’ work on Steven Spielberg’s 1997 drama, Amistad, a movie that centered on a legal battle after a group of slaves take control of a ship before being recaptured, was enough to earn him another Oscar nomination. However, he would lose out to the powerhouse that was Titanic.

Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969)

Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Herbert Ross’ 1969 musical starring Peter O’Toole and Petula Clark, is one of John Williams’ earlier films, as well as one that would serve as a taste of what was to come for the composer in the decades that followed.

The Adventures Of Tintin (2011)

In 2011, Steven Spielberg gave the world The Adventures of Tintin, an animated adventure film based on the long-running comic series of the same name. There to help add to the sense of wonder and action found throughout this gem of a movie was John Williams, whose score elevates the story to the next level.

War Horse (2011)

Just like they did in 1993, Steven Spielberg and John Williams teamed up twice in 2011, a collaboration that included War Horse. This remarkable World War I movie has a little bit of everything, including moving instrumentals from the famed composer.

Far And Away (1992)

Ron Howard’s epic drama, Far and Away, follows a couple (played by Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman) as they leave their native Ireland behind for a chance at a better life in America. The journey is made all the more emotional and adventurous thanks to John Williams and his unforgettable score, one filled with all types of music and movements. 

Empire Of The Sun (1987)

An ‘80s movie that doesn’t get enough love, Empire of the Sun has everything that makes a Steven Spielberg movie great: a wonderful cast led by a young Christian Bale, epic action, emotional drama, and a phenomenal John Williams score. It’s really worth seeking out.

The Long Goodbye (1973)

In 1973, John Williams worked with Robert Altman on the satirical neo-noir crime film, The Long Goodbye, a movie starring Elliott Gould as a private detective who gets wrapped up in the murder of a friend’s wife. Adding intrigue and mystery to this film is Williams’ impressive score.

The Sugarland Express (1974)

The Sugarland Express features a great dramatic turn from Goldie Hawn as a woman who convinces her husband to break out of prison so they can find and retrieve their young son before he can be placed in foster care. The movie was Steven Spielberg’s feature film directorial debut, as well as his first time working with John Williams.

Minority Report (2002)

In 2002, John Williams worked with both Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise on the sci-fi thriller, Minority Report. This dark yet fun score features some great work by the Oscar-winning composer, including the optimistic closing number, “A New Beginning.”

Though we don’t know if we’ll ever hear another new John Williams soundtrack after the composer hinted that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny may be his final film score, at least we have decades and dozens of movies to revisit for years to come.

Mads Mikkelsen may be the most prolific portrayer of villains working today. After appearing in the latest Indiana Jones film, Mikkelsen has acted in almost every major movie franchise, most of which see him play an antagonistic role. While some may see it as typecasting at this point, the Hannibal actor doesn’t view it that way. Mikkelsen shared his feelings about embodying so many movie villains -- and why he believes the casting has less to do with him, and more to do with a frequent trend in Hollywood. In truth, I think he might be on to something here.

The actor recently attended the Marrakech Film Festival, where he received the honorary Etoile d’Or career award and screened his latest film, The Promised Land. While he doesn’t play a villain in that film, at the festival, he addressed why he believes he’s continuously cast as a villain in American movies. He said (via Deadline):

He definitely has a point. Some of the most famous villains in American movies do tend to have accents that differ from the protagonist(s). Movies like Inglorious Bastards, Die Hard, Rocky IV certainly back up the star's theory, and I’m sure there are many others throughout movie history that reflect the same trend. While this may be the case, the Rogue One alum doesn’t feel burdened by a villainous casting and feels like all the characters he has played have differed heavily from each other. The veteran performer continued:

Mads Mikkelsen may be one of those actors who always plays the villain, but his characters are far from boring. Hannibal is one of the most interesting and complex TV characters of all time, for example. In addition, Mikkelsen characters like Grindelwald from Fantastic Beasts and Kaecilius from Doctor Strange both have deep written lore associated with them. So they were certainly multifaceted characters for the actor to sink his teeth into. Mikkelsen has even previously said he’d be interested in playing another Marvel villain in the future, so he clearly isn't over being the bad guy just yet. 

Even though the Danish actor doesn’t mind playing big bads, I’m sure being the protagonist in The Promised Land was a nice change of pace. It's a Danish production, much like his movie Another Round, which won Best International Feature at the 2021 Oscars. The movie is getting great reviews out of the festival circuit and is also being postured for an International Academy Award nomination. While the actor may be becoming one of the most recognizable character actors in America, he remains a Danish leading man and continues to show his range.

The Promised Land has only been released internationally, as of this writing. However, fans will be able to see Mads Mikkelsen in his latest antagonist role in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which is set to stream for Disney+ subscribers starting on December 1. For more information on other great movies starring the actor, make sure to check our feature on Mikkelsen movies and where to watch them.

I’m a fan of sequels and long-running franchises…to a certain point.  

You see, when it comes to most horror franchises, like the Friday the 13th series, or something like every Halloween movie, I’m usually all for long, drawn out series, since the later movies in said series usually become more and more ridiculous (It’s Jason…in spaaace. Or, it’s Leprechaun…in the hoooood!), which I get a guilty pleasure out of watching.    

But when it comes to other genres outside of horror, I usually have less tolerance for a series that may have worn out its welcome two or three movies ago, such as with The Expend4bles. Honestly, The Expendables probably shouldn’t have made it past the second movie (And apparently, I’m not the only person who wonders how The Expendables franchise has made it this far). So here are just a few movie series that probably should have been put out to pasture a couple of movies or so ago.      

The Expendables Series 

Critics haven’t been holding back on their feelings of The Expend4bles, and from what I’ve read, I don’t blame them. The Expendables arguably wore out its welcome by only the first movie, though I feel l’m a bit more charitable when it comes to the franchise.

The greatest appeal of The Expendables, at least at the beginning in 2010, was that it was old action heroes from the ‘80s basically coming back and having “one last run” (To their credit, those are my words, and not theirs). 

But, there just felt like there was something off about the first movie, as even though it had Stallone, Jet Li, and Dolph Lundgren, the rest of the cast, which consisted of names like Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Terry Crews, and Randy Couture, just felt like it was missing something. Like, there were too many modern faces, rather than faces aged with wrinkles. 

And that’s where The Expendables 2 delivered, since we got most of the heavy hitters with that one. I’m talking Bruce Willis, Jean-Claude Van Damme (as the villain!), Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Chuck freaking Norris! I mean, seriously, where do you go from there with a cast of legends like that? 

Well, not with the abysmal (and PG-13 rated) The Expendables 3, which added Ronda Rousey, Wesley Snipes (A nice addition, but poorly utilized), Harrison Ford, Antonio Banderas, Mel Gibson (as the villain this time), and…Kelsey Grammer. 

The problem with this movie, besides it just being bad, was that it also felt tired. Like, the idea of getting all of these old stars together again for another action movie had already grown stale, possibly even after the first movie (Though again, I support the second). So, for there to be a fourth film just seems like overkill, with the tagline even being, “They’ll die when they’re dead.” It might have been better if the tagline for the third movie had been, “After this, we’re retired. For realsies.”   

The Fast Series  

The Fast series is an interesting case study, to be honest. Though I’ll always say that Tokyo Drift is low-key my favorite film in the franchise, there’s definitely a case to be made that the series really kicked into overdrive with the fifth movie, with many people agreeing (including CinemaBlend) that the fifth Fast & Furious movie, Fast Five, is the best in the series.    

So, this is definitely a case where a series was finding its legs (or rather, its tires) late in the game, as 2001's The Fast and the Furious feels like a time capsule since it's so scaled back and different. In fact, the series completely changed with the fourth movie, Fast & Furious, becoming more of an action series rather than a street racing franchise. 

That said, since we were all rocked by Paul Walker’s death, Furious 7 would have been a good place to end the series if they had chosen to do so. In the final moments of that film, Paul Walker’s character, Brian O’ Conner, and Vin Diesel’s character, Dominic Toretto, bid farewell to each other and drive off in separate directions.    

It was honestly the perfect ending to the series, but as time went on, the movies have just gotten more and more ridiculous, to the point that it almost seems like a parody of itself these days (I like Jason Voorhees in space, but I don’t like my Fast movies in space). Honestly, I tried watching Fast X, and gave up halfway through. I guess I’m just done with this franchise. And really, I was probably done by The Fate of the Furious.   

The MCU Series 

Okay, so let me explain this one. My favorite MCU movie is Eternals, so make of that what you will. But I think a major reason why I loved that movie so much (and still do) was because it felt distinctly different from anything else in the MCU, and I really felt we needed that after the franchise crescendoed with Avengers: Endgame.    

At the time, I didn’t really think the MCU was in trouble. Honestly, Avengers: Endgame seemed like the perfect place to end the MCU as we knew it and move onto something else entirely, which Eternals felt like at the time. But since then, I feel like the MCU has kind of gone downhill.  

When I ranked the first four phases of the MCU, I put Phase 4 toward the bottom, and Phase 5 has really just been disappointment after disappointment for me. Sure, there have been some highlights since Endgame, like Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 for many (I didn’t particularly like it, though).

But overall, I think the MCU should have pivoted in a completely different direction after Avengers: Endgame, which just seemed to wrap up everything nicely since the franchise started back with 2008’s Iron Man.    

So, maybe the MCU shouldn’t have “ended,” per se after Avengers: Endgame, but it definitely should have changed. It might have made it feel fresh again.  

The Saw Series 

So you know how I said that I’m all for most horror franchises having long-running series? Well, I do feel that way, but maybe not for the Saw series. And I didn’t always feel this way. A while back, I ranked the best horror franchises, and I put Saw at number 5. But in hindsight, I take that back, because honestly, Saw needs to just die already.   

I think I feel this way because they keep bringing it back. The seventh Saw was called "The Final Chapter," but now we have three more movies after that. And even though I hear that Saw X is actually pretty good (And I’ll definitely end up seeing it), I really feel like it’s a franchise that probably would have made for an absolutely KILLER trilogy. 

A lot of the Saw movies after the first one are pretty lame, and Spiral really should have been a death knell for the franchise, but I think this is more of a case of a “just okay” horror series that could have been amazing if it hadn’t gotten so many sequels.   

The Indiana Jones Series  

Now look, I’ll defend Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. But just because I’ll defend it, that doesn’t mean that I think it necessarily needed to exist.   

In fact, just like with the Saw series, I really think Indiana Jones would have been perfect if it only had three movies, as there is no better way to end the franchise than they did with Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. For many years, that was where the series ended, and that’s where I think it should have stayed finished. 

But then, we got a fourth Indiana Jones movie, and really, the series hasn’t been the same since. I have nothing against an older Indiana Jones, but in a lot of ways it felt like Indy was taking a backseat to other characters in the fourth movie (Like his son, Mutt).  

And, while I skipped the last Indiana Jones movie, The Dial of Destiny, I really had no interest in seeing another Indiana Jones adventure, since I felt like it’s just better to think back to the original trilogy, as Crystal Skull seemed unnecessary enough as it was (Even though I found it fun). I’ll probably just catch The Dial of Destiny when it eventually comes home to Disney+. Maybe. We’ll see. If there’s nothing else to watch.

And that’s the list. What movie franchises do YOU think probably should have ended a while ago? For more news on all things cinema, make sure to swing by here often!  

When it comes to the 2023 movie releases we’ve seen open in theaters thus far, a couple of major long-running franchises surprised this summer with underwhelming performances at the box office. In this case, we're talking about long-awaited Indiana Jones 5 starring Harrison Ford, and Tom Cruise’s stunt-tastic Mission: Impossible 7. As the summer movie season gets ready to close out, the ticket sales don’t stand to match the money spent on the action/adventure flicks, and its studios are going to actually lose money from them. 

Let’s take a look at the numbers for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One as August soon transitions into the fall season. Coming off of Barbie continuing to dominate the box office at No. 1, now for a straight month, the two major studio films are losing money for its respective studios. 

Why Is Indiana Jones 5 Losing Money For Disney?

Per Variety, the fifth Indiana Jones movie reportedly cost around $300 million before marketing costs, which reportedly is at least $100 million, and it's been out in theaters for seven weeks now. Across almost two months, the movie has made just over $375 million worldwide. With those numbers in mind, it doesn’t look like Harrison Ford’s last adventure stands to actually make money in theaters. To contrast, 2008’s Kingdom of the Crystal Skull made $760 million worldwide against a reported $185 million budget. 

Why Is Mission: Impossible 7 Losing Money For Paramount?

Now, let’s look at Tom Cruise’s latest sequel centering on Ethan Hunt. The sequel reportedly cost around the same as Indiana Jones 5, and across five weeks in theaters, it's made $522 million worldwide. Now, while things are looking a bit better for the Mission: Impossible movie, per sources familiar with the movie’s financial modeling, apparently the movie needs to make $600 million to break even for the studio. It’s an odd position for Dead Reckoning Part One to be in considering 2018’s Fallout made $791 million worldwide and Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick was one of three 2022 movies to break a billion at the box office. 

Why Did Indiana Jones And Ethan Hunt Lose Out Summer?

In years past, both of these franchises have found massively successful places in box office history, so what happened? There’s a few things at play here, but the No. 1 reason Variety points to is their overblown budgets, in part due to shooting during COVID-19. Both movies reaching $300 million on the budget front make them some of the most expensive movies ever made. MI7 in particular reportedly led to clashes between the Paramount CEO, Tom Cruise and writer/director Christopher McQuarrie. 

Another reason why these movies lost money is due to the monster that is Barbie and Oppenheimer. With MI7, it came out just one week before both movies broke a ton of box office records and continue to have legs during the summer season. Then there’s franchise weariness, which seemed to affect both of these movies. Perhaps because the last Indiana Jones movie isn’t beloved and Tom Cruise was the talk of the town in Top Gun: Maverick last year, so audiences were content to sit them out for more original movies during the season. 

Who knew Barbie and Oppenheimer had the power to take down two franchise heavy-hitters? Either way, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One are still playing in theaters if you have yet to catch them on the big screen. 

Indiana Jones faced a lot of difficult challenges during his career as an adventuring archaeologists, from outrunning rolling boulders to frequently fighting Nazis. However, whenever a snake reared its head, that was enough to send Indy into a panic, as he feared those reptiles just as much as his father feared rats. So you have to love the irony of a snake species being named after his actor, and Harrison Ford has now reacted to the big news that Indy would surely hate.

As reported by the scientific journal Salamandra, a type of slender snake that was discovered in Peru’s Andes Mountain back in May 2022, when researchers found one of the males hanging out in the sun. This species has now been classified as Tachymenoides harrisonfordi, and its physical attributes include being 16 inches long, colored yellowish-brown with scattered black blotches, and having a black belly and a vertical streak over his copper-colored eye. When asked for comment from EW, Ford started by joking about how this is the latest unsettling animal to be named after him, then delivered a heartfelt statement about the natural world:

The two Harrison Ford-named animal species to precede Tachymenoides harrisonfordi were Pheidole harrisonfordi, a type of ant, and Alponia harrisonfordi, a type of spider. In other words, as the Han Solo actor noted, the animals named after him are more than likely to freak children out… and frankly many adults too. Still, it’s clear from his above words that Ford is pleased with this honor, though he used the news as a platform to saying some poignant words about nature and humanity’s duty to care for it. Speaking of which, this snake wasn’t just named after Ford because of Indiana Jones’ dislike of snakes; the man himself has long been dedicated to conservation, which includes him serving as the vice chair of Conservation International’s board of directors.

This update on the snake world comes roughly a month and a half after the release of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which marks the end of the film series and Harrison Ford’s tenure as the character. Critically, the movie’s been met with more mixed reception, with CinemaBlend’s review being one of the more positives ones with a 4 out of 5 stars rating. Commercially though, Dial of Destiny has failed to make a splash, having made only $375 million worldwide off a budget reportedly in the $295-300 million range. So the cinematic Indiana Jones saga didn’t exactly go out on a bang, but at least the announcement of Tachymenoides harrisonfordi makes a nice personal prize for Ford to enjoy.

The first four Indiana Jones movies can be streamed with either a Disney+ subscription or a Paramount+ subscription, and Dial of Destiny will likely end up on the former service before the year is over. Look through our 2023 release schedule to see what movies are coming out in the months ahead, or get a jump on next year with the 2024 release schedule.

Movies truly can be magic, as sometimes the most memorable scenes come from out of the blue. And then, like in the case of Harrison Ford falling ill while making Raiders of the Lost Ark, that inspiration comes from quite a personal place. What was supposed to be a major action set piece became a gag that still stands as one of the most memorable moments in Indiana Jones history.

On top of that distinction though, this scene we’re about to discuss saved the movie in another way that also made a huge difference. So before we go too far, let’s relive the piece of Raiders of the Lost Ark history that has gathered us all here today. 

The Iconic Raiders Of the Lost Ark Moment That Changed On The Fly

As history currently stands, Raiders of the Lost Ark carries one of the most badass moments of action that doubles as a comedy beat. While Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) tries to find a recently kidnapped Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) in a crowded marketplace, he’s confronted by a rather large man with a sword (Terry Richards). Just as a duel looks like it’s about to break out, the audience is treated to this gag that made movie history:

Now if you actually thought a more complex fight was going to break out, your instincts don’t deceive you. Originally, the plan was to have more suspense and choreography, with quite a bit of work going into prepping it. Those plans changed rather quickly thanks to illness and quick thinking.

The Illness That Caused Harrison Ford To Suggest This Raiders Of The Lost Ark Change

Most people know that Raiders of the Lost Ark had to switch up its plans for the big marketplace scene Many also know that it was due to the fact that poor Harrison Ford, as well as a good portion of the crew on this 1981 blockbuster, were all battling a horrible cast of dysentery. Yet the story that leads to that fateful decision has a couple more twists in the mix, making it even more intriguing to behold.

In a recent appearance on CNN, while promoting Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Ford spun the story of how these unfortunate circumstances influenced production. While the scene that resulted is still amazing, you have to feel sorry for the late Terry Richards, as this tale also reveals his reaction to the big switch: 

Luckily, as also disclosed in this same interview, it was noted that Steven Spielberg used some extreme methods to avoid that same illness, allowing him to be totally receptive to such changes. The unfortunate circumstances that Harrison Ford and his colleagues were suffering through effectively helped push this change into play. However, this quick and dirty Indiana Jones takedown solved another problem that producer Frank Marshall was happy to discuss in another interview.

Why This Indiana Jones Change May Have Saved The Film

What’s worse than having a sick cast and crew on an untested would-be blockbuster like Raiders of the Lost Ark? Try being behind in your production schedule. Steven Spielberg’s love letter to James Bond and serial adventures was apparently in a bit of a time crunch at this point, which was a concern for Marshall. As he recalled during THR’s Producer Oscar Roundtable in 2016, Frank laid out just how one day, and one suggestion, righted the ship:

While Frank Marshall seems to think that the suggestion came from an unconfirmed party, his claim of the marketplace shootout being one of the biggest Indiana Jones moments is absolutely valid. Though it’s still curious to imagine what that whip vs. scimitar fight would have looked like in Raiders of the Lost Ark, the scene we received instead is something that truly helped define the character of Dr. Henry Jones Jr. for generations to come. 

Without establishing that sort of quick wit in an action-packed situation, we may never have experienced choice memories, like that time Dr. Jones threw a Nazi out of a blimp for having "no ticket" in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Again, scenes like those are only better served by building history off of moments like this landmark Raiders gag that almost wasn't.

Necessity truly is the mother of invention, a fact that moments such as these have proven time and again. When results like this happen to be the end product, you can’t really argue with the process. All you can do is hope that the next time such luck lands in your lap, you recognize that moment, and run with it to the end. 

If you’re currently craving an Indiana Jones fix, you’re in luck. At the time of this writing, all four previous installments and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles are available through the grail known as a Disney+ subscription. So you don't need to weigh out a bag of sand just right to catch up with Indy's past. 

That’s also the presumed streaming home that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will land at once that entry of the 2023 movie release schedule comes home. For now though, you can still catch that series ending adventure in theaters, should you be inclined to do so.

The summer movie season has been a wild ride, to be sure. While many films have performed as expected, for better or worse, we’ve seen just as many surprises, where films surprised us with strong box office or found themselves surprisingly struggling. No single studio has had more of that latter situation than Disney.

For years now, Disney has not only been the king of the summer movie season, but the king of the box office, period. The company routinely has multiple movies at the top of the box office and tends to dominate all other studios. Technically, that’s still the case even now, but it’s difficult to imagine Disney wasn’t expecting to be in a much better place after the summer than it is now.

Disney’s Haunted Mansion movie opened to a disappointing $24 million domestically. If it were an outlier, that would be one thing, but it’s actually been a summer like that for the studio. Even the movies that have put up bigger numbers have still not put up big enough numbers to be considered a success. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is Disney’s only big hit of summer 2023 and its highest-grossing movie of the year so far. So what did it do right that everything else did wrong? 

Guardians 3 Was A Movie Fans Were Actually Waiting For 

Part of the reason that Hollywood argues that it tends to fall back on franchises is because studios are only giving audiences what they want. If they liked a certain movie, then making a sequel to that movie makes sense. That’s true as far as it goes, but all of Disney’s projects from this summer, with the exception of Elemental, were sequels or otherwise based on popular IP, and they still failed to catch on.

Indiana Jones as a franchise will always be popular, and people love going on the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland, but that’s not the same thing as saying people were desperate to see movies based on them again. If we’d never gotten another Indiana Jones movie, the world would have kept spinning just fine. Maybe people were excited at the idea when a new Indy movie was announced nearly a decade ago, but a lot has happened since then.

On the other hand, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was a movie fans wanted. You only need to look at the outcry that was spawned by James Gunn’s firing from the project to see that. While that firing delayed the movie by a couple of years, this was a story that fans wanted to see completed.

Guardians Of The Galaxy Has A Solid Track Record 

It may sound somewhat simplistic to say, but the Guardians of the Galaxy movies are really good. The first entry shocked viewers when this group of misfit characters that were largely unknown, even among a lot of comic book readers, became one of the MCU’s biggest movies to date, and the sequel proved that this was not an accident. At a time when people are still going to fewer movies, there was confidence this one would be worth it.

The same certainly could not be said about Disney’s other offerings. The last Indiana Jones movie before Dial of Destiny was, and still is, seen as the worst of the series. Disney’s live-action remakes hadn’t had a solid hit since 2019’s The Lion King, and more recently, we got a critically-panned Pinocchio. The last time Disney made a Haunted Mansion movie, it didn’t work out either. 

The Guardians of the Galaxy Are A Team Of Movie Stars 

It’s been said that in an era where the major selling point of many tentpole movies is the character being played, it’s less important who the actors are that are playing them. There’s almost certainly some truth to that, but it’s hard to overlook the fact that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 had some of the biggest names of the summer attached to it.

Between Marvel movies and the Avatar franchise, Zoe Saldana is one of the highest-grossing actors in the history of Hollywood. Chris Pratt stars in two of the top three movies of the year at the box office thanks to Guardians and the billion-dollar The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Add to them names like Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper, and you have actors people love to see on screen.

Harrison Ford will go down in history as one of the biggest stars ever, but it’s difficult to argue that he has the same drawing power he once did. Halle Bailey is excellent in The Little Mermaid, and she may be a massive movie star one day, but we’re not there yet. Most Pixar movies tend to have big names in the lead voice roles, but Elemental was one that did not. Haunted Mansion had some great actors attached, but none of them were on par with the names in Guardians 3.

Fans Knew Not To Wait For Disney+ 

Studios had to figure out how to continue to do business during the pandemic closure of movie theaters, and with streaming already becoming a major priority for them, of course, it became an avenue for film releases. But Disney has perhaps inadvertently trained its audience to use its streaming service so well that it’s keeping them from going to theaters. 

It’s already been argued by many that Disney’s decision to release three consecutive Pixar movies directly to Disney+ during the pandemic basically told the audiences that these were “streaming movies” and not “theatrical movies.” However, going back to 2019, the last five of Disney’s live-action remakes were either streaming-only releases or, in the case of Cruella and Mulan, were released as “Premier Access" films on Disney+ alongside limited theatrical releases. It's possible that The Little Mermaid was just as much of a victim.

What’s most important to note here is that of all the things that helped Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 succeed where other Disney projects failed, the fact that it’s a great movie had nothing to do with it. Many may even agree the threequel was the best of Disney’s summer slate, but those other movies are also good. Most critics liked them, and the audiences that have seen them have a favorable opinion.  Sometimes just making a good movie isn't enough.

With its theatrical run concluded, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now available to stream with a Disney+ subscription, and you can count on the other 2023 Disney movies mentioned in this piece eventually hitting the platform.

Over the course of the past 40-plus years, the Indiana Jones movies have given audiences some of the most iconic cinematic moments that have left generations of moviegoers with fond and epic memories, like Harrison Ford’s iconic character running from a boulder, bringing a quick end to a sword fight, and countless other acts of heroism and overcoming challenging obstacles. 

But, at the same time, there have also been some truly scary Indiana Jones scenes that were probably way too much for younger audiences and led to the creation of the PG-13 rating. From acts of human sacrifice to overconfident villains making the wrong decisions and giant ants on the attack, the beloved franchise has had its fair share of genuinely terrifying moments. Let’s break some of those down now…

The Heart Removal - Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom

My first memory of the Indiana Jones franchise is also one of the series’ darkest and most terrifying scenes: Mola Ram (Amrish Puri) pulling out a man’s heart before sending the ill-fated follower into a pit of fire in The Temple of Doom. Witnessing this incredibly unsettling scene as a little kid is listed up there with having my first asthma attack because of Pennywise in the 1990 It miniseries, and it’s never left me.

The whole removing a heart from a man’s chest is one thing, sending that man into a fiery pit is another, but the man still somehow being alive while all this is happening is the cherry on top of this terror pie. The combination of horror and fantasy in this moment is something that will never not be terrifying.

Opening The Ark - Raiders Of The Lost Ark

Even though it never gets old watching Major Arnold Toht (Ronald Lacey) and the rest of the Nazis get what’s coming to them in Raiders of the Lost Ark, the face-melting scene upon opening the ark of the covenant is an incredibly terrifying experience. Put together with some impressive special effects and practical ingenuity, this is an experience that really pushes the movie’s PG rating.

The visuals are one thing, but the whole scene gets even more terrifying as you hear Toht’s melting face run across his strained vocal cords, creating a sound that adds another layer to the horror. Even after the Nazis are all gone, Indy and Marion (Karen Allen) are nearly sucked up in a supernatural tornado, which makes the whole ordeal even more dangerous and frightening.

Donovan Drinks From The Wrong Cup - Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade

When I was growing up, my best friend and I watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade pretty much whenever it was on HBO, meaning, we spent countless summer afternoons watching Harrison Ford and Sean Connery search for the Holy Grail. One of the moments we always loved, but which also terrified us was the scene in which Walter Donovan (Julian Glover) drinks from the wrong cup and begins to rapidly age before dying.

Call it a love of special effects or a morbid curiosity (or a combination of both), there was something about this scene that always scared and exhilarated me without fail. The fear and confusion in Donovan’s voice as he realizes his fatal mistake just before the transformation is something I’ll never forget.

The Well Of Souls - Raiders Of The Lost Ark

“Snakes, why did it have to be snakes?” is one of those Harrison Ford quotes that never gets old, and it’s also a line that perfectly captures the fear and anxiety of the titular archaeologist’s dislike for the slithery reptile. Everything about the opening of the Well of Souls in Raiders of the Lost Ark is incredible, from the foreboding lightning and clouds that appear as Indy and Sallah (John Rhys-Davies) lead a team to find the Ark of the Covenant to the line about a moving floor just adding to the tension.

Later on, however, when Indy and Marion find themselves trapped in the pit, we get this exceptionally terrifying sequence of the pair fighting a race against time (and venomous snakes). The sequence only grows more frightening as more snakes come out of the walls and partially broken sarcophagi in near darkness.

The Spike Room - Temple Of Doom

Skeletons, all kinds of creepy crawlers, and booby traps galore are all found in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’s Spike Room sequence, one that is as disgusting as it is absolutely terrifying. I mean, the crunching sound of Indy and Short Round (Ke Huy Quan) walking through the dark chamber is enough to send shivers down your spine, but it just gets crazier from there.

When the adventurer and his young sidekick accidentally set off a trap that pushes the ceiling (loaded with spikes) down on top of them, their only chance of survival is Willie (Kate Capshaw) sticking her hand in a tight spot to reverse the contraption. And, if thinking you broke a nail isn’t bad enough, Willie finds a palm-sized bug in her hand during this uncomfortable scene. 

Rats In The Catacombs - The Last Crusade

In addition to the terrifying Donovan aging sequence at the end of the movie, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade also features another terrifying moment earlier in the movie in which Indy and Elsa Schneider (Alison Doody) find themselves trapped in a catacomb with what looks like thousands of rats. Though it lacks the supernatural element of the later scene, this sequence is absolutely frightening, especially for those not too fond of rats.

As a kid, this scene would leave me rattled and is probably one of the reasons I’ve never been happy about the idea of rats. Unlike Indiana Jones, though, I’ve never had to deal with what looks like a tidal wave of the little creatures.

Attack Of The Killer Ants - Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull

Speaking of waves of terrifying animals, the final moment on this list is the sequence in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in which both the heroes and villains find themselves on the run from killer ants in one of the best sequences in the movie.

Though Indy and company are able to escape the wave of death (thanks to the Crystal Skull), Antonin Dovchenko (Igor Jijikine) isn’t so lucky, as the ill-fated henchman is picked up and dragged into a giant ant-hill before becoming the insects’ next meal. Fire ants have nothing on these behemoths.

You can go back and watch all of these genuinely terrifying moments right now, as you can watch the first four Indiana Jones movies streaming. Though Dial of Destiny has yet to make its home video debut, chances are you’ll be able to watch the movie with a Paramount+ subscription in the coming months.

It has been said that every fictional hero is only as good as its villain. Well, in the case of a heroic character as iconic and beloved as Indiana Jones — who most recently returned in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which is available to stream with a Disney+ subscription — the globe-trotting, daredevil archaeologist must have one of the most fearsome rogues galleries in cinematic history.

As a life-long, die-hard fan of the Indiana Jones movies, that is a claim I can easily get behind. Of course, the question is, which of the many dastardly fiends who have faced off against one of Harrison Ford’s greatest characters is the baddest and the best of the bunch. We’ll see if we can answer that by ranking the greatest major Indiana Jones villains in ascending order below.

8. Elsa Schneider (The Last Crusade)

I will never forget the shock of discovering that Indy’s love interest in his third big screen adventure, 1989’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, was not only a spy sent to coerce him into leading the Nazis in the direction of the Holy Grail, but also shared a romance with his own father (Sean Connery). Those hilarious hijinks and her involvement in a few of Indy’s toughest challenges aside, I think that villainous twist is the single most memorable thing about the otherwise somewhat forgettable Elsa Schneider (Alison Doody), who is certainly a conniving villain, but not a very threatening one.

7. Lao Che (The Temple Of Doom)

This may be a list primarily meant to rank the major Indiana Jones villains, but some of the more minor baddies have still managed to make an enduring impression on the franchise despite having so little screen time. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’s Lao Che (Roy Chiao) is a prime example, and not just for the way he demonstrates his ruthlessness by poisoning Indy over an artifact trade at the beginning. The Shanghai crime boss and owner of Club Obi Wan (a fun Indiana Jones movie Easter Egg for Star Wars fans) is actually responsible for the perilous journey Indy, Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw), and Short Round (Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan) endure in the 1984 film, being the owner of the plane that sends them crash-landing in India in the first place.

6. Irina Spalko (The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull)

Say what you want about the fourth installment — which our own Rich Knight actually placed higher than Temple of Doom in his Indiana Jones movie ranking — but Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is not without its redeeming qualities. Among them is Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett’s performance as KGB agent Irina Spalko, which I would agree does get a little cheesy, but that is not by accident. Not to mention, I would call Spalko one of the more unique of Indy’s enemies for how — instead of the typical fame and fortune — she values knowledge above anything else, which also seals her downfall by the end.

5. Walter Donovan (The Last Crusade)

Another uniquely motivated Indy villain is Walter Donovan (Julian Glover), whom I would call even more despicable than Spalko for the things he does to get his hands on the Holy Grail and achieve immortality in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Teaming up with Nazis is bad enough, but kidnapping Dr. Henry Jones, Sr., using his him as a pawn to coerce his son into the search, and convincing Indy to enter the deadly temple holding the Grail by shooting his dad in the stomach is just cold. It ultimately makes his otherwise horrifying comeuppance at the end — as a result of Elsa choosing the Grail “poorly” — pretty gratifying, if you ask me.

4. Arnold Ernst Toht (Raiders Of The Lost Ark)

Perhaps the honor of most terrifying and famous death scene in the entire franchise should go to Toht (Ron Lacey), whose face melts into a milky mass of red and white at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark, which was achieved by filming a gelatin mold under a heat lamp and speeding up the footage. What makes visually distinct and tonally unsettling Nazi Gestapo agent memorable is the way the script keeps him mysterious — we never even learn his name until the credits of the 1981 classic — and depicts him as a ruthless sadist willing to take extreme measures to gain information on the Ark of the Covenant.

3. Dr. Jurgen Voller (The Dial Of Destiny)

It is a shame that the box office returns for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny were not great, because that means a lot of theatergoers missed out one of the most intriguing villains in the franchise’s history, if you ask me. It was already a genius idea from the beginning to cast Mads Mikkelsen — an actor known for playing villains quite often — who makes Dr. Jurgen Voller a very chilling and grounded presence that elevates director James Mangold’s sequel beautifully. But I think his reason to use Archimedes’ Dial as revealed by the end — to reverse the outcome of World War II by taking Hitler’s place — especially makes him one of the more interesting of Indy’s Nazi enemies, which is really saying something.

2. Mola Ram (The Temple Of Doom)

There is something to fear about every one of the Indiana Jones villains on this list, but none come close to being as scary as Mola Ram — the High Priest of the revived Thuggee Cult, played by Amrish Puri in Temple of Doom. There are many reasons why I believe he deserves to be ranked this high on our list, from the enslavement of children to making Indy into his mindless follower with the blood of Kali. However, I think the terrifying scene in which he rips a man’s still-beating heart right out of his chest before sacrificing him to a fiery grave — which, itself, led to the PG-13 rating’s development — is more than enough proof.

1. Dr. René Belloq (Raiders Of The Lost Ark)

Even in a franchise filled with power-hungry Nazis and deadly occultists, I do not believe any of them have ever held a candle to the remarkable complexity and alluring zeal of the main antagonist from the movie that started it all, Belloq. As actor Paul Freeman pointed out to me himself, the charismatic French archaeologist never does anything particularly evil in Raiders of the Lost Ark — save allying himself with Nazis — and is not much different from Indiana Jones in terms of their treasure-hunting ambitions, which he even uses to convince Indy not to destroy the Ark near the end. That is what makes the otherwise despicably greedy explorer a perfect match for our hero and the crown jewel of his rogues gallery in my book.

Do you agree that Belloq deserves to be named the best Indiana Jones villain? Are there any others you think were undeservingly left off? Try revisiting the first four films -- also available on Disney+ -- and get back to me.

Crafting a franchise finale like Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny  is a tricky endeavor. On one hand, there’s a temptation to make everything perfect for an action star like Harrison Ford, especially when he’s in his trademark fedora and leather jacket. However, when a team of stuntmen tried to help enhance this image of perfection surrounding the legendary actor, he rejected that notion with an F-bomb for the ages.

I totally understand why Mr. Ford would feel this way; as well as why he delivered the message so bluntly. This is even despite the star of some of the best action movies ever admitting to Esquire that his swearing has gotten him in trouble with wife Calista Flockhart. The franchise veteran admittedly continued to use some choice expletives to enhance stories such as this one from his latest, and final, Indiana Jones movie. Which only made the star's reaction to that moment on set all the more appropriate, as you can read below: 

As we’ve seen throughout various commercials and the Indiana Jones 5 Super Bowl trailer, the moment in question is Harrison Ford’s big horse chase through a New York parade scene. It’s a pretty classic Indy feat that invokes many of the iconic moments that our hero has experienced in the past. In the case, it seems that Ford wanted the moment to perfectly capture what it would look like if an older man was performing the sequence. You honestly can't buck his logic, as such authenticity can help enhance the production.

Being able to see the star is such a position up close and personal probably inspired those stuntmen to preserve the magic for as long as possible. But that’s not what the 81-year-old was aiming to do, which has been shown quite openly throughout the journey to this date with destiny. 

Quite the vocal party throughout the production and release of this franchise capper, he gave some notable script notes when it came to The Dial of Destiny. Mainly, he didn’t want to harp on the worn theme of jokes pertaining to Dr. Henry Jones Jr.’s advancing age. Though the man affectionately known as Indiana may not be as young as he used to be, the actor behind the legend wanted his rough and tumble archaeologist to age with grace.

Swearing at stunt performers aside, you can tell that Harrison Ford was pumped about Indiana Jones 5. Dedicated to doing as much stunt work as he can, and showing Dr. Jones’ years and mileage on the big screen, the man set to star in Captain America: New World Order is still inspiring people in his own way. Even action daredevil Tom Cruise wants to follow in Ford’s footsteps, with plans to make Mission: Impossible movies until he’s at least in his ‘80s. 

That’s not a bad legacy to leave behind, and all things surrounding this action hero for the ages can be celebrated; if you know where to look. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is currently showing at a theater near you, with all previous films and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles streaming for those with an active Disney+ subscription.

Warning: SPOILERS for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny are in play. If you haven’t taken this final adventure with Dr. Jones, you’ve been warned.

Right from the start of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the twists in Indy’s life started to come fast and furious. With a shot revealing that his marriage with iconic sweetheart Marion Ravenwood was on the outs, a set of divorce papers made for a pretty grim piece of early exposition. That decision tied into a twist that comes later in the movie, which sidelines Marion for all but the final scene of the film. If you thought Indiana Jones fans were disappointed in this turn, actor Karen Allen shared some thoughts that were on a similar wavelength. 

As Ms. Allen was interviewed by THR, the initial expectations she shared for her potential role in Indiana Jones 5 seemed reasonable. The project had been in development for over a decade, with early phases presumed to include more Marion Ravenwood adventure in the mix. That was all dashed when Allen read the completed script, which led to this heartbreaking reaction: 

It appears that the reason why Mutt Williams isn’t in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny had a direct impact on the presence of Karen Allen’s Marion Ravenwood. With that tragic loss in the family looming over the pair we met in Raiders of the Lost Ark, it gave her absence a thematic purpose. Learning this fate when being handed the presumed shooting draft, and after over a decade of waiting for this next chapter to take off, certainly counts as a shock of one of the largest magnitudes.

Karen Allen’s reaction to this Dial of Destiny twist also makes sense because of just how much she cares for the character of Marion. As she collaborated with Steven Spielberg and writer Lawrence Kasdan to phase out Marion Ravenwood’s potential damsel in distress moments in Raiders, it isn’t a stretch to share the disappointment of seeing this iconic source of wit and assistance absent from the majority of Indiana Jones 5; especially when Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull went through the trouble of marrying the reunited couple after decades of waiting.

Should there be any silver linings to this story, it’s the following takeaways. First, and most importantly, Indy and Marion’s relationship timeline does end happily, and the scene that shows Harrison Ford and Karen Allen reliving a moment of Raiders of the Lost Ark love is one of the best things to happen in Dial of Destiny. But also, judging by how Karen Allen played off Indiana Jones 5 questions as recently as last December, she is an amazing secret keeper, which only makes her even more of an asset for any project that’d like to hire her.

All of this talk about the unfortunate treatment of Marion Ravenwood might be enough to revisit the rest of the Indiana Jones franchise; or at the very least, 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark. No matter your preference, a Disney+ subscription can make it happen, should you have chosen wisely to sign up. 

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, or The Last Crusade? Honestly, it's hard for me to pick, since I love both of them. In fact, I love all four of the Indiana Jones movies. From Raiders all the way to Crystal Skull.  

Wait. What's that you say? There's a fifth Indiana Jones movie? And it's called Indiana Jones and the Dial Of Destiny?  Well, given it's underwhelming opening box office, you wouldn't know that it even came out.    

This is a shame, because I'm a MASSIVE fan of Indiana Jones. But, even I skipped Dial Of Destiny, and I have five reasons why.  

I Felt Like Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull Was A Good Enough Conclusion To Indy's Story, And I Didn't Want Another Adventure 

Crazy, I know, but I actually LIKED Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Did it HAVE to be made? God, no. The series - like most franchises - would have probably been better suited as a trilogy. The Last Crusade was pretty much the perfect conclusion to the franchise. That said, Crystal Skull was not a bad send off to the character by any means.    

Sure, the whole Mutt Williams thing as Indy's son didn't really lead to anything, and the last memorable image we have of Indy is of him staring at a UFO, but overall, the adventure didn't feel completely unnecessary.  We got an older Indy, and I would have been perfectly content with him having that one last adventure…

So, then why is he having another adventure? One thing I always liked about the Indiana Jones movies is that there weren't too many of them, so each one felt special. What I mean is, with each movie, it felt like we were getting a new chapter in Indy's life. And, I felt like we got a "good-enough" final chapter with Crystal Skull. Marion from Raiders returned to continue their relationship, and we also learned that they had a son. 

I've heard some people say online that Dial Of Destiny acts as a sort of "apology" for Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but I don't want an apology. Crystal Skull was fine the way it was, and I was never looking for a continuation. Not in a million years.  

The Reviews Were Fine, But Not Great  

Our very own Sarah El-Mahmoud gave the Dial of Destiny an admirable review, but it currently stands at a critical score of 69% on Rotten Tomatoes. Now, I know, I know. Who cares what the critics say? Form your own opinion, right? Critics didn't love The Super Mario Bros. Movie, either, but I LOVED it.    

Here's the big difference between Mario and the Dial Of Destiny. I've been my waiting my entire life for a good Super Mario Bros. movie (though, I'll now defend the bizarre and bold original Super Mario Bros. to my dying breath). I didn't ask for another Indiana Jones movie, though, nor did I want one.   

For me to see Dial of Destiny IN THE THEATER (as opposed to me just checking it out with my Disney+ subscription whenever it finally comes home), it had to get critical reviews like "A masterpiece," or, "The best Indiana Jones movie since Raiders of the Lost Ark" to get me to put on my jeans and leave the house. 

A critical score of 69%, while decent, is certainly not enough to get me pumped for a movie that doesn't feature Mario, or Jack Black singing soulfully about "Peaches."

None Of The Trailers Made Me Feel Like I HAD To See It In Theaters 

As soon as I saw a decidedly de-aged Harrison Ford in the trailers, I thought, "Nope. I don't want to see that." Which is a shame, too, since it's not like the effect is bad. I actually think Disney's come a long way since the waxy Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin featured in Rogue One. But, I don't want to see a young Harrison Ford again.    

I know that's only a small part of the movie, but that wasn't the best foot forward to convince me to want to see this film. The action scenes of Indy riding a horse in a subway, or him brandishing his trademark whip in a crowded room also didn't get my blood pumping. 

In truth, the trailers made the movie look…kind of bland. And, once again, kind of bland isn't going to make me leave the house. Few things will these days, especially not movies with unfortunate titles like "The Dial Of Destiny." 

Some Of My Friends Saw It On Opening Night And They Said The Third Act Was "Frustrating"  

A few of my friends actually saw the movie on opening night. Their reviews varied (some said it flat out sucked, while others said it was pretty good…for the most part), but the one that I consistently heard was that the movie falls apart at the end. 

Now, I don't know what they mean exactly, as I told them all, "No spoilers!" But, the one thing that I've heard the most is that the first two acts are mostly pretty good, but the filmmakers totally blew it on the third act. I gather that it has something to do with this titular Dial of Destiny, but I don’t know what exactly. 

I have no desire to be disappointed by another Indiana Jones movie. I've since warmed up to Crystal Skull, but upon initially seeing it, that third act with the aliens really threw me for a loop, and I don't need another one of those. No, thank you.  

No Steven Spielberg  

Lastly, and this may seem like a small problem (because it really is), but I genuinely have no interest in watching an Indiana Jones movie that wasn't directed by Steven Spielberg. 

Nothing against James Mangold (I really liked Logan), but for me, Indiana Jones IS Spielberg, and I honestly have no desire to see another Indy movie if he's not directing it.

This is strange, too, since I've seen a number of Star Wars movies that weren't directed by George Lucas (I mean, the best movies in the franchise were arguably NOT directed by him). For me, though, Indiana Jones really needs to have "Directed by Steven Spielberg" at the beginning, or I find that my interest plummets. 

Are you an Indy fan like me who didn't bother to see this new movie? For more news on all things Indiana Jones, be sure to swing by here often.  

Watching the variety of special features available on Raiders Of The Lost Ark's home video releases, one quickly understands that the set of the movie wasn't wholly a healthy, happy place. Much of the production took place in Tunisia, and less than ideal conditions led to a lot of the cast and crew getting sick with diseases like dysentery. Harrison Ford can be counted among those who got ill... but the same can't be said of director Steven Spielberg, who took some funny approaches to protecting himself while in North Africa.

Ford's personal bout with dysentery on the Raiders Of The Lost Ark set famously led to the creation of one of the movie's most memorable moments (Indiana Jones whipping out his gun and shooting a confrontational, scimitar-wielding swordsman in the middle of a bazaar), and it was while recounting this memory during a recent CNN interview that the actor revealed how the film's director remained healthy during production. Ford explained,

In the making of Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Steven Spielberg clearly wasn't messing around and willing to take risks with his health. It's basically impossible to direct a movie when you're suffering with diarrhea, vomiting, a high fever and stomach cramps, so he took serious precautions to avoid any contaminations. 

Continuing, Harrison Ford laughed and gave Steven Spielberg credit for his ability to avoid the terrible disease the plagued him, and explained that it was a shared thought that led to the intense bazaar battle that was planned being reduced to a more comical beat:

The production of Raiders Of The Lost Ark was particularly brutal for Harrison Ford, who has a fairly long history of on-set injuries and maladies. Not only did he get dysentery, but he also tore the ACL in his left leg during the fight scene between Indiana Jones and the muscle-bound German pilot in the film's second act. The blockbuster adventure movie is one to remember, but for Harrison Ford, the making of it was in many ways one to forget. 

Memories of Indiana Jones' past are obviously everywhere right now thanks to the theatrical release of Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny, which is number one at the box office and playing in theaters everywhere. If you're looking to revisit the magic of Raiders Of The Lost Ark specifically, however, you can stream it with a Paramount+ subscription or a Disney+ subscription; rent/purchase it digitally at major outlets including Prime Video, Vudu, Google Play or Apple; and pick it up on physical media either on 4K or Blu-ray.

SPOILERS are ahead for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, now playing in theaters.

Across over 40 years of Indiana Jones movies, Harrison Ford’s legendary character isn’t exactly someone who seemed too interested in being pinned down by romance, or settling down, be it adventures around the globe and another woman by his side for just about every installment. However, one cannot discount the powerful chemistry between Indiana Jones and Karen Allen’s Marion Ravenwood across the franchise. They have a long and important history together that 2023 new movie release, Dial of Destiny, brings to a close. 

In the spirit of the final Indiana Jones revisiting his relationship with Marion Ravenwood, it’s a great time to look back at a complete account of the two characters’ relationship. Here’s a timeline of their lives together across these films… 

Indiana Jones And Marion Meet 

When Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood first share the screen in Raiders of the Lost Ark, it’s clear it’s not the first time they’ve met and there’s some unresolved history there. First, let’s break that down. They initially met back in 1925, over a decade before the events of the first movie when Marion was 16 years old. Now, Marion is the daughter of another famed archaeologist and treasure-seeker named Abner who was a mentor to Indiana Jones. Once their paths crossed, Indy (who is apparently 10 years her senior) and Marion fell in love, but ultimately Indy left her broken-hearted as he went on to pursue his career in archaeology. 

When they talk at Marion’s tavern “The Raven,” which she went on to run in Nepal during their time apart, she lashes out on Indy for leaving her when she was a “child” who was “in love” and calls him out for it being “wrong” at the time and him knowing it. Indy simply replied with “you knew what you were doing” and apologizes. The roots of Indy and Marion’s relationship definitely has some problematic qualities that George Lucas and the other writers and filmmakers have been criticized for over the years. 

Indy And Marion’s Ark Adventure 

That brings us to Indiana and Marion’s reunion during the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark, which is set in the year 1936. At this point in time, Marion is the age Indiana Jones would have been when he met her ,and the archaeologist is in his late ‘30s. Indiana pays Marion a visit in order to obtain one of her father’s artifacts, a medallion referred to as the Headpiece to the Staff of Ra, which is vital to Indy’s pursuit of the Ark of the Covenant. Indy is welcomed by Marion with a slap in the face for how he treated her a decade prior before Nazi’s knock at The Raven’s door and Marion decides to be his “goddamn partner” on his latest adventure. As Karen Allen once shared, she fought against the character simply being a damsel in distress, and Marion is beloved for playing against that stereotype throughout Raiders. 

Marion then travels to Cairo, Egypt with Indiana Jones where they go on a fantastical and dangerous adventure together and very much recover the Ark. At the end of the movie, they walk off together and it’s implied the pair rekindle their romance. 

Marion Becomes Pregnant After Indy Walks Out 

In the movies, we don’t learn more about Indiana and Marion’s relationship until the ever controversial Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. There we learn that after Raiders, Marion spent time working as a journalist before opening a bar in New York City called The Raven’s Nest and additionally being a public relations officer for a museum at Marshall College. The pair were engaged to be married, but a week before the wedding, Indiana Jones left her without an explanation, unbeknownst to him that his wife-to-be was pregnant with their son, Mutt. 

Marion And Indy’s Son Henry 'Mutt' Jones III Is Born 

Henry “Mutt” Jones III was born in 1938 without a father in Indiana Jones. Three months after Marion gave birth to their child, she began to date a Royal Air Force pilot named Colin Williams, who she later married and became the stepfather to Mutt. Tragically, Colin, who Indiana Jones actually introduced her to, was later killed in World War II. John Hurt’s Harold ‘Ox’ Oxley, also an old friend of Indiana Jones, then becomes Mutt’s surrogate father, helping raise the boy played by Shia LaBeouf in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. 

Indy Reunites With Marion And Meets Mutt

The plot of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull revolves around Russians capturing Oxley in the year 1957 and Marion asking a 20-year-old Mutt to find Indiana Jones to help get him back. Throughout much of the adventure, Indy is completely clueless to the fact that Mutt is his son until he reunites with Marion midway through and she lets him know of his identity. During the events of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Indy and Marion once again rekindle their fire and decide to get married at the end of the movie.  

How Things End For Indiana Jones And Marion

That brings us to the events of Dial of Destiny, which takes place in the year 1969. We find Indiana Jones living alone in an apartment without Marion with divorce papers in play. As it turns out, the couple didn’t work out as they planned. There’s a deeply emotional mention of what becomes of Mutt Williams, who would've been in his 30s, but died tragically in the war. At the end of the movie, after Indy has been shot, time traveled and nearly died, Marion comes to his door with groceries to stock his fridge. The couple share an adorable moment that calls back to Raiders of the Lost Ark where Marion playfully kisses where Indy hurts. 

The ending scene seems to imply that with Indiana Jones’ retirement fully here, his last adventure is getting yet another chance with Marion and growing old with her. Marion has always been the most important and electric relationship for the archeologist and it’s sweet to see the franchise end with the pair in each other’s arms. Who knew an Indiana Jones movie would ever make us well up in tears? Here's to the couple's romance hopefully sticking this time, they are too perfect for each other. 

Indiana Jones is one of the most iconic film franchises. The sense of adventure, incredible action, and the charismatic hero at the center played by Harrison Ford have made it a series that's loved by multiple generations. Love for the movies has lived in the hearts of many for years and years, with many passing on their love for Indy to their kids. The first three movies came out in the '80s, and are nostalgic for many Gen Xers, so it’s no wonder many young people tell Ford how much he means to their parents. Well, after hearing this so many times over the years, the movie star has something to say about it.

Ford and his Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny co-star Phoebe Waller-Bridge were recently interviewed by a few young journalists from KissFM UK while promoting the new film. One of the interviewers told the Han Solo actor what a big fan their dad is. Of course, the actor responded in the most Harrison Ford way possible, with the sarcastic, dry wit we all know and love. He said:

He is clearly kidding around, and I’m sure appreciates the compliment. The interviewer then went on to ask the movie icon some questions their dad provided him. It was a hilarious group of questions, with one being about smelly set locations. Ford answered the question enthusiastically, and in great detail, recounting an experience with sewer rats. You can see a TikTok of the interview below:

While Ford may have a hard time taking a compliment, he was seemingly having fun with the young journalists. 

The Oscar nominee is known for giving hilariously glib answers to fan questions. When asked if Han Solo or Indiana Jones would win in a fight, he once responded with “Me, asshole!” Also, when he accidentally punched Ryan Gosling in the face during Blade Runner 2049, he apologized by bringing scotch to the actor's trailer, pouring him a glass, and then walking away with the bottle. As serious as he may seem, Ford loves a good bit, and always seeming over it has been a hilarious one for years. 

However, this doesn’t take away how meaningful promoting Dial of Destiny has been for the 80-year-old actor. This is likely his last turn as Indy, and he couldn’t be more emphatic about his love for the character and the franchise during this press tour. Ford was quite emotional when the movie got a standing ovation at Cannes, and he seems so glad to have had the chance to wear the hat once again at an older age. He has also stated that he’s very happy with how the movie turned out, and he is confident in the quality. I’m glad that after all these years, he still enjoys what he does, and the characters we, and our dads, all love. 

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is in theaters nationwide now. It’s one of the biggest movies of the summer, so check it out while you can. Fans of the previous Indiana Jones movies can check them out now, as they are currently streaming with a Disney+ subscription. For more information on other films hitting the big screen later this year, make sure to consult our 2023 movie schedule. 

Warning: spoilers for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny are in play. If you haven’t seen Harrison Ford’s final Indy adventure just yet, you’ve been warned. 

Welcome back to the CinemaBlend Time Travel Lab, dear readers! This is the place where from here to there in the then and now is one of our specialties, and I’m glad to be continuing the good work that was revived when we explained how The Flash’s time travel works. Our latest case study is a wild one, as we’ve got a rogue traveler trying to change the outcome of World War II, with good old Indiana Jones along for the ride.

Yes friends, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is the topic of discussion today. So spoilers will be as plentiful as the Nazi goons that Harrison Ford wipes off the map. Don’t worry, our time travel archives are always open for business, and our official review of Indiana Jones 5 is also available, should you need something to read up on in the meantime. But from this point forward, it’s time for a date with destiny! 

The Time Travel In Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny

For a franchise that’s seen voodoo, a well of souls, and even the Holy Grail in the mix, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny mixes things up a bit with time travel. And it definitely fits, based on what happens as a result.

Who's Time Traveling?

A whole mess of characters get to go on this time-bending adventure. But our main passengers are Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford), his goddaughter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), and their nemesis Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen). Also, a bunch of Nazis who become canon fodder, because this is an Indiana Jones movie.

From When To When?

1969 is our home base in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, with August 20th being the day in question. While Jürgen Voller’s intent was to go back to August 20th 1939, his efforts overshoot the mark…into 212 BC.

The Purpose Of Their Trip

You know how some people want to go back in time and kill Hitler? Well in Indiana Jones 5 we’ve got a Nazi who wants to do just that…because Voller thinks he’d be a better Fuhrer than old Adolf. That's a motivation we hadn't heard before. Who would have thought it’d take a bad guy to put a fresh spin on this old chestnut?

How Time Travel Happens In Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny

Welcome to the Antikythera, or “Archimedes’ Dial,” which invokes a similar naming dilemma as whether you should call Nicholas Flamel’s alchemic miracle the Sorcerer’s Stone or Philosopher’s Stone. Though much like the Time Turner that made Harry Potter’s time travel possible, the famed Grecian mathematician’s Indiana Jones MacGuffin, the Antikythera helps its user go back in time. 

Now you can’t just go anywhere in time, like in Back to the Future, another franchise shepherded by Executive Producer Steven Spielberg. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’s titular device is, in theory, supposed to detect “fissures” in the fabric of time. Were one to find such a fissure and cross through it, they would wind up in another point in time, on the same day, in the same location on the map.

Franchise producer Frank Marshall laid out Indiana Jones’ approach to time travel quite aptly with one key phrase: “it’s math and time.” All one has to do is set the Antikythera to the date in question, and the device calculates the coordinates of the relevant fissure. Those openings just happen to open at high altitude, so an aircraft will be required to get to where you’re going. And you’d better be quick, as those fissures only stay open for a short window of time; no pun intended.

However, there’s two outstanding factors that make Jürgen Voller’s little mission a failure. The first is that Archemedes didn’t know about Continental Drift theory, so the coordinates the dial spits out are invalid without some extra calculations. And the second is, per Helena Shaw’s observation in Indiana Jones’ latest expedition, Archimedes always intended the Antikythera to bring its user to the Siege of Syracuse.

Archimedes’ dial was a “forced deck” intended to scare the Romans into fleeing Syracuse. Like the man himself said, Indy was always destined to arrive at that moment. 

Can History Be Changed As A Result Of Time Travel In Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny?

In theory, one could change history in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’s time travel adventure. Helena Shaw is vociferous in this belief, as she tries (and succeeds) in stopping a dejected Indy from staying in the past. Also, thanks to those markings at Archemedes’ tomb in Sicilly depicting an aircraft as a Phoenix, as well as the presence of a ‘60s wristwatch on his remains, some might see that as a change.

However, taking into account the “forced deck” nature of the Antikythera, and Archemedes’ specific programming for it to bring the users to him, a new angle presents itself. This isn’t “changing” history, but rather an outlier in time where a natural barrier was exploited, creating the reality we’re in now. 

Whether you call it an “inevitable intersection” or a “fixed point in time,” this was always going to happen in the Indiana Jones franchise’s timeline. History could be changed, but I haven’t seen enough evidence to suggest that it would stick.  

What Are The Consequences Of Time Travel In Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny?

There aren’t all that many consequences involved in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’s time travel. Not unless you count Dr. Henry Walton Jones Jr. having a different outlook on life, and trying to make things right with estranged wife Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen). Again, this whole trip was set up by Archemedes, and the world’s chain of events don’t deviate. 

If anything, the largest change is that a whole bunch of Nazis died all spicy like, thanks to Roman warfare. Which, as we stated before, seems par for the course in the Indiana Jones adventures. So is that really a consequence, or is that just a feature at this point? 

Give ‘Em Hell, Indiana Jones!

Well, I think this latest trip into time has been a rousing success, don’t you? Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny closes out the famed franchise once and for all, and all we got out of it was this fedora someone had lying around. 

Well, I get to keep that, as our contract with Tempus Fugit Insurance clearly states that any artifacts procured during CinemaBlend time travel excursions go straight…to the museum. I’ll have to think very carefully about what I nab next time, as we’ll once more be heading into some uncharted waters the next time we meet.

It hasn’t been decided which temporally charged adventure should be tackled next, as the various variants of me need to meet and decide. Much like The Terminator’s time travel, the future isn’t set, but rather decided over martinis. Until next time fellow travelers, don’t forget the olives, or the Continental Drift, when venturing forth into the seas of time.

The final installment of Harrison Ford’s epic adventure franchise is upon us, with another Indiana Jones adventure hitting the big screen. It’s been 42 years since audiences were first introduced to the Nazi-fighting archaeologist and 15 years since the last sequel, and now Dr. Jones is back for one final adventure, with Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas  and Mads Mikkelsen among those joining the franchise for the character’s swan song. The long-awaited film hit theaters June 30, and the critics are here to give their opinions of Indiana Jones 5.

Dial of Destiny premiered at Cannes Film Festival in May, and the first reactions held good news for fans of the franchise. The fifth and final movie in the series will see Indy’s estranged goddaughter Helena Shaw enlisting the retiring professor’s help in trying to locate a device that could change the course of history before the Nazis are able to alter the outcome of World War II. Let’s see what the critics are saying, starting with CinemaBlend’s review of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Our own Sarah El-Mahmoud rates the movie 4 out of 5 stars, calling it an ode to the franchise: 

Lauren Coates of the AV Club grades the movie a C, saying that while the movie is a success when it comes to the action, its lack of emotional stakes have the Harrison Ford character going out with a whimper instead of a bang. The critic says: 

Robert Daniels of The Playlist also gives it a C but disagrees when it comes to the emotions portrayed by the lead actor. Daniels argues that Harrison Ford elevates the rote script, saying: 

Lindsey Bahr of the AP rates Indiana Jones movie 2.5 out of 4 stars, saying there’s a sense of melancholy surrounding the film, as moviegoers know this is the last we’ll see of the storied character. And while not as good as the original trilogy, it’s a fun and dignified sendoff, Bahr says: 

Gabriel Ricard of Cultured Vultures rates Dial of Destiny 8 out of 10, despite the “thoroughly unpleasant” digital de-aging of Indiana Jones. In the end Harrison Ford is the heart and soul of the movie and the reason it works, Richard says, giving Ford's character the best farewell you could ask for. The critic continues: 

The fifth and final installment of the adventure franchise is in theaters now, if you want to see where you think Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny falls in the ranking of Indiana Jones movies. You can also relive the entire franchise, with the first four movies available to stream with a Disney+ subscription. Also be sure to check out our 2023 Movie Release Schedule to start planning your next trip to the theaters. 

Indiana Jones is back, and The Dial of Destiny is certain to please O.G. fans of the iconic franchise. Between Harrison Ford’s confident portrayal, Steven Spielberg’s direct involvement, and the legendary John Williams returning to score, it seems that director James Mangold is firing on all cylinders. This tried, tested and true recipe for success has given us a nostalgic final ride for Doctor Jones, but there’s one component that’s already proven to be divisive amongst fans and critics alike: that big, bold, behemoth of a third act.

The ending of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is bound to be controversial and a hot topic in pop culture. So, let’s discuss what happens, what it means, and what James Mangold and Harrison Ford think about taking such a big swing. 

How The Dial Of Destiny Sets Up That Huge Third Act

The opening of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny takes us back in time to one of Indy’s many World War II era adventures. This is where we’re introduced to Basil Shaw (father of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Helena Shaw), Mads Mikkelson’s Dr. Voller, and one-half of the titular dial, also known as the Antikythera. After an exciting action sequence on a moving train in classic Indiana Jones fashion, the dial ends up in the possession of Basil and Indy, with Voller having been knocked out by Doctor Jones himself. This is likely part of the catalyst that paves the way for a massive grudge Voller holds against Indy over the course of the following decades. 

Flash forward, and Basil Shaw has become somewhat obsessed with the dial, believing that it holds the power to travel back in time. Indy takes the dial from him in a move reminiscent of Gandalf helping Bilbo by taking the ring. This is when we see Helena Shaw as a little girl, who Indy, her godfather, won’t be in contact with for many years. That is, until, she’s an edgy adult who looks shockingly similar to Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and comes looking for the Antikythera to sell it at auction.

At this point in time Indy is 70 years old, retiring from the university, and we get a great classroom scene reminiscent of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. Indy is giving a lecture on Greek mathematician and inventor Archimedes, who famously invented a series of weapons used to protect Syracuse against the Roman invasion in 213-212 BC. Archimedes also worked on a device called the Antikythera. Get it? They’re setting us up. Storytellers, am I right?

Voller is also back, his jaw still sore from the hit, and he has a merry gang of Nazis rampaging around the world looking for the dial. Why? To go back in time and kill Hitler, of course! Good news, right? No, not necessarily, as Voller plans to take Hitler’s spot as the leader of the Third Reich and lead the Nazis to victory in World War II, correcting all the mistakes Voller knows that Hitler made. That is, unless Indiana Jones and his badass goddaughter have something to say about it. After a series of side quests and the MacGuffin changing hands, Voller is on his way back to the ‘30s with both halves of the dial, and Indy and Helena in tow. 

The Big Swing Of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’s Finale

So, now we’re at the moment my jaw hit the floor in the movie theater. All parties successfully go back in time… but not to the 1930s. The whole lot find themselves in Sicily, during the 213-212 BC siege of Syracuse. That’s right, folks! Indiana Jones goes back in time to Ancient Italy during a Roman invasion. The Romans fire at the Nazis, and the Nazis fire back, taking down a fair amount of Roman forces and leaving us in that time-travel paradox of wondering how history would have changed had the events of the film not taken place. Voller and co. (Nazis) die in the scuffle, while Indy and Helena parachute down to safety. That’s when we get the big, goosebumps moment of the film, and the twist we were all waiting for.

Indiana Jones comes face-to-face with Archimedes himself. We learn that the dial wasn’t simply invented as a general time-travel device, but rather, Archimedes created it to send help from the future in order to aid in his protection of Syracuse during the invasion. Indiana Jones is now in the past that he had spent his life researching, and in the process, managed to sustain a gunshot wound. There’s a wonder in his eyes, as if this is what he’d always wanted. He asks Archimedes if he can stay, and plans to die there. However, his wish is not fulfilled, but more on that later. 

Why Harrison Ford and Director James Mangold Don’t Think The Ending Was Such A Stretch

Look, iconic hero Indiana Jones travelling to ancient Europe feels like… a lot. Of all the intense nonsense this franchise has put us through, until now they had yet to explore time travel. Having said that, the Indiana Jones films tackle a lot of wild subject matter, and if you were to ask Dial of Destiny director James Mangold, befriending Archimedes isn’t a terribly big swing for the franchise. In fact, during a press day for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Mangold told me this:

James Mangold makes a good point. The Indiana Jones films have always skewed a little fantastical, especially towards the end, though it certainly could be argued that time travel is a bigger swing than voodoo. Coming face-to-face with Archimedes is akin to coming face to face with Jesus Christ himself during the climax of Raiders. Having said that, these films are such a significant part of our cinematic lexicon that we do, to his point, sometimes forget just how “out there” these other third acts have been.

Harrison Ford has a slightly different take. While acknowledging that the third act may have been a lot, he believes that the relationships between the characters, and exhibiting real, human emotion is the most pivotal detail in creating a believable story, despite how fantastical it may be:

Boom. The answer to end all answers. If you have believable relationships between the characters, the outlandish nature of the story will be accepted by audiences. Of course, if you ask the villain Voller himself, Mads Mikkelson, he’ll put it more bluntly, completely standing behind the concept of time-travel as a realistic story element:

A Happy Ending for Indiana Jones

So, does Indiana Jones stay with Archimedes and die within the historical events he had always romanticized? Of course not. Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Helena Shaw, having become emotionally reconnected to her godfather, knocks him out. Indy wakes up in a hospital bed, with Karen Allen’s Marion waiting for him. The Indiana Jones films both start and end with the love between Marion and Indy, and if you didn’t swoon during that romantic finale, you and I are no longer friends.

But is this really the end of Indiana Jones? The last shot of the film sees his iconic fedora hanging outside of the couple's New York City apartment, until his hand reaches around the corner to grab it once again. 

If you haven’t seen Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny for yourself, remedy that! The film is in theaters right now. For the record, the arguably “big swing” of the third act worked for me completely, and I hope it gives you the same nostalgic goosebumps. The film is yet another solid addition to this Summer’s movie release schedule, with much, much more coming down the pipeline. 

By now, most Indiana Jones fans know that Harrison Ford wasn’t the original choice to play everyone’s favorite adventurous archeologist. The role was originally meant for Blue Blood’s Tom Selleck. Ford has shared the story multiple times but to my knowledge has never given Selleck a shout-out publicly… until recently. 

The Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny star was promoting the latest film in the franchise when he chose to acknowledge Selleck at the Taormina Film Festival in Italy. While the Three Men and a Baby star had to drop out due to his Magnum P.I. schedule, Ford was the (next) obvious choice, having worked with George Lucas on the Star Wars franchise. Years after scoring the Indiana Jones role, the Oscar nominee finally thanked Tom Selleck for letting the part go in a panel (via Deadline).

Harrison Ford seemed genuinely thankful that Tom Selleck was too busy to tackle the Indy role, which makes sense, given how significant the character is in cinematic history. After playing Han Solo for multiple years, Ford had a few hits and misses in the intermediate, including Apocalypse Now and The Frisco Kid. So, getting another franchise role was the right fit at the time. Of course, he made the role his own, but I'm happy to see him shout out the actor who almost was, here.

With the first choice now off the table, Ford mentioned he got called up to play the beloved role. The Indy actor revealed how he got notified about getting the role after Selleck turned it down.

George Lucas and Steven Spielberg wasted no time slotting Ford right into the iconic role. Becoming Indiana Jones wasn’t easy as he was Spielberg’s first choice, but not necessarily Lucas'. The Star Wars impresario’s apprehension made sense, having worked with the Hollywood A-lister on multiple movies since American Graffiti. 

The Blade Runner star has spoken ill about some of Lucas' other projects in the past, though he has always credited the latter for his career. These days, fans might have trouble envisioning anyone else -- much less Tom Selleck -- trekking across different continents hunting down mysterious treasures. Ford took the role and ran with it, raking in millions at the worldwide box office across multiple movies over four decades.

Moviegoers will get to see Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones again when Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny hits the 2023 movie schedule on June 30. Before the latest installment appears in cinemas, watch the first four Indiana Jones adventures by streaming them through Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video. 

Harrison Ford will forever be cemented as a Hollywood icon, largely due to his beloved roles in two George Lucas-created franchises, Star Wars and Indiana Jones. But in the past, the actor has famously spoken a tad ill of Lucas’ creations, virally calling Han Solo a “relatively thin” character whom he wanted to see killed off, and reportedly convinced the filmmakers to do it in the Sequel Trilogy. But as Ford gets ready to say goodbye to Indiana Jones, he’s giving a lot of credit to Lucas for giving him his fruitful career. 

CinemaBlend’s Jeff McCobb spoke to Harrison Ford and Phoebe Waller-Bridge in Los Angeles during the press day for Indiana Jones 5. During the interview, McCobb asked the legendary actor what he thinks it is about George Lucas and the iconic characters he created that make them worth revisiting over forty years later. In Ford’s words: 

While Harrison Ford undoubtedly and seamlessly brought Han Solo and Indiana Jones to life in an iconic way that has made him irreplaceable, it all starts on the page, and Ford pointed that out in his response. The 80-year-old actor may have virally shared his feelings on the lack of depth he found in Han Solo, or he made it clear he doesn't care what a Force Ghost is, but he gave credit to Lucas for giving him a huge “gift” with these roles. 

Ford can’t deny how “important” these iconic characters have been to his career and how they’ve ultimately opened doors for him to be the famed figure he is today. While the actor was beginning to gain traction all on his own in the ‘60s in a series of minor roles in TV shows, when he scored an audition with George Lucas for 1973’s American Graffiti, his life and career changed forever. 

The role in the coming-of-age movie led to him landing his roles in Star Wars and Indiana Jones, but historically, he’s seemed to have more of a particular fondness for the latter. The actor originally signed on to more Indiana Jones movies than Star Wars movies and recently shared that he’s “always wanted” to explore the character at the “end of his life,” as he does in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.  

Dial of Destiny premiered at Cannes Film Festival to an emotional moment from Ford, you can see how Indiana Jones’ legacy ends when the upcoming 2023 movie hits theaters on June 30.