Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny star Harrison Ford knows age jokes can become dated pretty quickly, insisting that 'old Indy' jokes won't feature in the upcoming action-adventure film.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Ford addressed what fans of the long-running Indiana Jones movie franchise can look forward to in its latest installment. The acclaimed 80-year-old actor was the subject of several aging quips during the last sequel, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and, initially, the Dial of Destiny script called for more of the same. However, those jokes were entirely removed from the film. "In [Dial of Destiny] there were a lot of old jokes in the script. We took them all out," he said. "There is a moment where he observes himself in this situation and says, 'What the fuck am I doing in here?' But I hate what I call 'talking about the story.' I want to see circumstances in which the audience gets a chance to experience the story, not to be led through the nose with highlights pointed out to them. I'd rather create behavior that is the joke of age rather than talk about it."
While the aging jokes are out, Dial of Destiny features a younger-looking version of its titular thrill seeker, specifically in its opening sequence. Lucasfilm used old footage from past Indiana Jones movies to de-age Ford, leveraging an artificial intelligence program that goes through all their material. Ford would wear dots on his face and speak, with the producers then creating the de-aging effect using their technology. "They've got every frame of film, either printed or unprinted, of me during 40 years of working with Lucasfilm on various stuff. I can act the scene and they sort through with AI every fucking foot of film to find me in that same angle and light. It's bizarre and it works and it is my face," he said.
Harrison Ford's Final Indiana Jones Movie
Ford has been starring in Indiana Jones movies since the first film, Raiders of the Lost Ark, debuted in 1981. Also featuring in Temple of Doom and The Last Crusade, the award-winning actor became a Hollywood mainstay and household name as the Indiana Jones film franchise has grossed just under $2 billion worldwide to date. The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was the biggest moneymaker of the four movies, amassing over $790 million in global ticket sales following its 2008 release.
Dial of Destiny sees Ford star alongside Antonio Banderas, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, John-Rhys Davies and Shaunette Renée Wilson. The film is set in 1969 when Indiana lives against the backdrop of the Space Race. In its efforts to win that race, the U.S. government hires former Nazis to beat the Soviet Union, making Indiana uneasy. He and his goddaughter, Helena (Waller-Bridge), then go on a journey, meeting an ex-Nazi and former NASA member involved with the moon-landing program who strives for a better world, winning their trust along the way. The upcoming flick is helmed by James Mangold, with previous Indiana Jones franchise director Steven Spielberg serving as executive producer.
While Ford's best years may seem behind him, the actor looks as strong as ever, keeping himself busy with starring roles on hits series like the Yellowstone spinoff 1923, where he features as notable rancher Jacob Dutton. He also plays Dr. Paul Rhodes on the AppleTV+ dramedy Shrinking, which premiered on Jan. 27. Meanwhile, on the big screen, Ford will follow up Dial of Destiny by venturing into the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the first time, playing Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross in Captain America: New World Order and Thunderbolts, both slated for 2024 releases.
Dial of Destiny opens in theaters on June 30.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter