The Cannes Film Festival held the world premiere of James Mangold’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” on Thursday evening at the Palais with actors Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Boyd Holbrook, Ethann Isidore and Mads Mikkelsen in attendance alongside director James Mangold.
The black-tie audience responded to the film with a standing ovation that went for five minutes – a strong showing for the title which is screening out of competition.
However the news of the screening was Ford himself. Festival director Thierry Fremaux surprised the audience by taking the stage and presenting a highlight reel of Ford’s legendary career and then festival president Iris Knobloch opted to honor Ford with an unannounced golden Palme d’Or for his work.
Ford was visibly emotional and on the verge of tears as he accepted, the star saying he was moved by the spectacle:
“They say when you’re about to die you see your life flash before your eyes, and I just saw my life flash before my eyes, a great part of my life but not all of my life. My life has been enabled by my lovely wife who has supported my passion and my dreams and I’m grateful. I love you [the audience], too. Thank you. You’ve given my life purpose and meaning and I’m grateful for that. So grateful to have the opportunity to work with artists like Jim, Phoebe, even Mads [laughs]. Now, but I got a movie you gotta see. It’s right behind me so let me get out of the way”
The screening confirmed further plot details about the movie including that the film’s macguffin, the titular ‘dial’, is known as the Archimedes Dial.
MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD
The film begins in 1969 when Jones is ready to call it quits after having spent more than a decade teaching at New York’s Hunter College. As he prepares to retire alone in a modest apartment, he receives a visit from estranged goddaughter Helena Shaw (Waller-Bridge).
She seeks the Archimedes Dial that her father entrusted to Indy years earlier – the device that purportedly holds the power to locate fissures in time. Helena steals the Dial and makes a break for it to sell the artifact to the highest bidder.
Left with no choice but to go after her, Indy dusts off his fedora and leather jacket for one final ride. At the same time Jürgen Voller (Mikkelsen), a former Nazi, is hot on their trail with his own plans for the Dial that could change history.
END SPOILERS
Social media response so far seems to be positive, though there are some who didn’t like it. Almost all agree it’s a big improvement on ‘Crystal Skull’ but not quite up there with the original trilogy.
John Rhys-Davies, Toby Jones, Shaunette Renee Wilson, Thomas Kretschmann and Olivier Richters also star in the film which opens June 30th. Check out a just released featurette below.
Source: THR
