For the first time in his career, Steven Spielberg sat and watched an Indiana Jones film not as the Director, but purely as a fan. Now having seen Dial of Destiny, the conclusion to Indy’s lifelong adventure, Spielberg is “really proud” of how it all turned out.
It’s been 42 years since the now-iconic Indiana Jones made his debut on the big screen with Raiders of the Lost Ark. All this time later, Harrison Ford is donning the hat one last time for a final journey in the upcoming Dial of Destiny.
Beyond the nature of Indy’s last ride, however, there’s a unique element worth noting. It’s the first Indy film without Spielberg in the director’s seat. Taking that responsibility this time around is James Mangold of Logan, and Ford v Ferrari fame.
As a result, Spielberg had the chance to sit and watch the completed project, absorbing an Indy film for the first time purely as a spectator, not as someone involved in its creation. Now having watched the flick in full, he was left shocked at just how well it came together.
“Bob Iger had a screening for a lot of the Disney executives,” Spielberg detailed in a conversation at the 2023 Time 100 Summit, as first reported by GQ. Attending this exclusive screening, Spielberg watched the finished product and was seemingly charmed just like everyone else in the room.
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“Everybody loved the movie,” he said. “It’s really, really a good Indiana Jones film. I’m really proud of what Jim has done with it. When the lights came up I just turned to the group and said, ‘Damn! I thought I was the only one who knew how to make one of these.”
While he’s obviously not going to be critical ahead of the film’s public release later this year, these comments nonetheless assure that at its core, the magic of a great Indy film appears to be intact thanks to Mangold’s efforts.
We’ll have to see for ourselves in theaters as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny debuts worldwide on June 29.
