Disney’s fiercely anticipated new Indiana Jones movie, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” suffered a severe box office slump in its opening weekend. Reports suggest it was only able to bring in around $55 million – around $5 million lower than initially predicted.
Coming in significantly under the inflated estimate of $60 million, it isn’t looking good for Disney’s hopes for box office success for the eighth cinematic installment of the intrepid archeologist.
Deadline released word on Saturday that the new movie is well below expectations, noting “a distant second to Warner Bros./DC’s The Flash.” Experts suggest that it may be difficult for Disney to make a profit, especially considering its hefty $294.7 million price tag, which was the eighth most expensive project of all time. When marketing costs are taken into account, total spending is likely to be even higher.
The original film “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, which was released in the early 1980s, had a smaller initial budget but was still able to make a profit of $248.1 million. However, this may not be the case with “Dial of Destiny”, since it opened with a far smaller box–office total than its predecessors.
“Dial of Destiny” stars Harrison Ford, who will turn 81 this month, and Phoebe Waller–Bridge, whose character Helena Shaw could potentially take over the “Indiana Jones” franchise. The trailer hints at some strong political stances, with Helena bashing capitalism as being tantamount to stealing.
“It was glorious, because it was so funny,” said Waller–Bridge of her impressive acting–stunt; punching Ford, the hero of the film, in the face.
It is particularly concerning for Disney that “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” has become the eighth most expensive movie of all time – resulting in an estimated loss of nearly $900 million for the Walt Disney Company, according to reports.
Although 2020 has been difficult for box office sales, owing to the global coronavirus pandemic, it is still unclear why the new Indiana Jones movie failed to make an impact. However, it is clear that, in terms of initial box office figures, it has severely underperformed. In terms of profitability, the jury is still out.