Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny's budget is among the most expensive movies of all time. Harrison Ford is returning for one last globe-trotting adventure as the eponymous intrepid archeologist. With James Mangold at the helm, making it the first film in the series neither directed by Steven Spielberg nor written by George Lucas, the story will find Indy teaming up with his goddaughter, Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), to weed out former Nazis who infiltrated NASA during the Space Race.
Now, Disney's quarterly earnings report reveals just how much the studio shelled out for the latest installment of the Lucasfilm franchise. According to Forbes, the Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny budget is $294.7 million, which makes it the eighth most expensive movie of all time right behind Justice League and the Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, both $300 million. For comparison, the most expensive movie of all time is Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides ($379 million).
Where Indiana Jones & the Dial of Destiny's Big Budget Is Going
There are various reasons why Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny's budget has ballooned to one of the biggest of all time. The biggest factor that drove up its production costs was filming during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in various safety protocols being put in place and production delays which were necessary to keep the cast and crew safe, but also drove up costs. Ford also reportedly suffered a shoulder injury while rehearsing a fight scene which caused further production delays.
Another factor driving up the cost of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is its special effects. While the Indiana Jones franchise isn't one that's generally thought of as VFX-heavy, and mostly relies on practical effects, the fifth film uses CGI technology to significantly de-age Harrison Ford for an opening flashback sequence. This type of cutting-edge technology, which has been seen before in Lucasfilm's Star Wars franchise does come at a cost.
The Disney-owned 20th Century Studios took a similar gamble with Avatar: The Way of Water, another movie that relies heavily on CGI filmed during the height of COVID. The James Cameron-directed sequel ended up costing $350 million, the fourth most expensive movie ever, which wholly paid off with Avatar: The Way of Water grossing upwards of $2 billion. Disney is betting big that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny sees similar success when it releases in theaters this summer.
Source: Forbes
