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The twists and turns in Mangold’s career that have led to this moment are perhaps even worthy of their own movie, and the fifty-eight-year-old sat down to talk to us recently about that fascinating journey in a series of conversations while deep in postproduction on Indy.
Jul 3, 2023 · Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny director James Mangold is glad he not only met his heroes but collaborated with them, too. Dial of Destiny is Mangold’s twelfth feature film, but it...
- Brian Davids
Now more than 40 years later, Mangold has helmed Indy’s final ride, an epic send-off for one of cinema’s legendary action-adventure heroes, once again played by the incomparable Harrison Ford. The story finds Indy at the end of his teaching career, confronted by his past, at a crossroads in a life filled with some significant disappointments.
Jul 4, 2023 · At our recent roundtable interview with Harrison Ford and director James Mangold for “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” the 59-year-old filmmaker was asked about his penchant for heroes ...
- Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Mads Mikkelsen also discuss their characters and what fans can expect.
- An Ever-Present Evil and a Dream Come True
- What Is Your Favorite Indiana Jones Movie?
- A Different Kind of Hero and a Villain Worth Exploring
By Adam Bankhurst, Alex Stedman
Updated: Apr 10, 2023 5:35 pm
Posted: Apr 10, 2023 5:24 pm
At Star Wars Celebration 2023, IGN had the chance to speak to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny's director James Mangold, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Mads Mikkelsen, and they discussed why this fifth entry in the franchise still has Indy fighting Nazis, how Indy's goddaughter Helena Shaw is a different kind of hero, and why villains are so compelling.
In 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indy worked to stop the Nazis from finding the Ark of the Covenant, and now, in Dial of Destiny, he looks to be facing off against them again. As the trailer released during Star Wars Celebration revealed, Mikkelsen's Jurgen Voller seems hellbent on bringing back the Nazis and Hitler as he says, "Hitler made mistakes. And with this, I will correct them."
According to Mangold, Nazis are tied to the franchise and, unfortunately, they, and other groups like them, are still relevant today in various forms.
"They're as much a part of the character of Indiana Jones as every other element we're familiar with," Mangold said. "But also I think there are a million ways it's just relevant even to our world today, whether they're called one thing or another, these things don't die away. These groups have kind of dreams of order and of the old days and are trying to return to them. So I felt like it was both familiar and relevant."
Speaking of origins, Mangold also talked about becoming the first director besides Steven Spielberg to direct an Indiana Jones film. For him, it was a dream come true moment to be able to be a part of this iconic franchise, but even he had his reservations.
"Well, at first I was hesitant because of my admiration for Steven [Speilberg] and Harrison [Ford] and stepping in," Mangold said. "But when they came to me, there was such a feeling that they were still open to what the story was going to be. And so I got the opportunity for a year to kind of really work with the Butterworth brothers, Jez and John-Henry, on what the story of this film was going to be.
"And in some ways, the danger always with sequels is really, do they just exist to make money or do they have something left to say? And that's kind of the blunt question for me. Money is wonderful, but I'm not really interested in the creative act of just making a thing that's here just to cash in on its name."
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
So, for Mangold, it was all about finding the reason for what would become known as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny to exist. Obviously, they did.
"It was about finding a reason for this movie to be, and something for it to say. And I think we did. And it's been one of the most miraculous journeys of my life," Mangold shared. "Not only getting a chance to collaborate with all those you mentioned, but also these guys (Waller-Bridge and Mikkelsen) and Harrison and John Williams and the miraculous crew behind the scenes working on the picture.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge will be playing Helena Shaw, who just so happens to be Indy's goddaughter. However, don't expect her to simply follow in his footsteps.
"I think the thing is that she really looks forward, whereas I think Indy looks backwards in terms of his love for history," Waller-Bridge said. "And I think that's what sort of differentiates them at the beginning, but they sort of bring each other's perspectives together in a way that I think is really beautiful."
Alongside saying that Helena Shaw and her character in Fleabag are alike in the sense that they are "both rascals," she explored a bit as to what makes these characters special.
“What I'm always searching for as an actor and also as a writer and as an audience member is to have a character that keeps you on your toes, someone that you love to watch her get into trouble because you know that the way she gets out of it is going to be amusing," Waller-Bridge says. "But she is also somebody, essentially, at the end of the day, that you care about. And that's what I think is extraordinary about this film. For all the adventures, there's such heart and you really, really care about all the characters.”
Mangold then chimed in and praised Waller-Bridge and what she brought to the role.
"When we first started, when we were in prep, I remember Phoebe saying to me as I was still working on the script and talking to everyone, and she said to me, 'I really want Helena to be... there's this first time you meet her and then a second time you meet her, and then a third and a fourth and a fifth. But that the second time has to be a radically different person than the first time.
Jun 26, 2023 · It wasn’t Steven Spielberg’s idea to have James Mangold as director. After all, the Indiana Jones franchise is his baby. Nor did it come from George Lucas, the creator of the character, or...
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Jun 14, 2023 · Screen Rant spoke with James Mangold about Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. He discusses collaborating with Steven Spielberg, who is a personal hero of his, and closing the book on Indiana Jones' story.
