Director James Mangold recently talked about the possibility of a female-led spinoff emerging from the Indiana Jones franchise. His upcoming project, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny received a standing ovation at its Cannes premiere in May this year. However, early reactions to the film are mixed. It barely maintains its “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with 61% of critic score. Film pundits are unsure about the movie’s financial success due to its mixed early response and $295 million budget.
In a recent interview with Variety, Mangold refused to become a part of the rumoured female-led spinoff. “I’m not interested,” he responded. “I refuse. I just can’t do it. The amount of lore and Easter eggs and fan service starts to become antithetical to any of this stuff at a certain point. It isn’t a storytelling anymore. It’s large-scale advertising.”
Mangold’s comments may take some fans by surprise, as he has received a severe backlash from the franchise’s fans for making a sequel that was not necessary at all. They have also blamed Disney for treating the film as a cashcow rather than a proper sendoff to Indiana Jones’ legacy.
On the other hand, Kathleen Kennedy, Lucasfilm president, has considered the possibility of a female-led spinoff, based on Helena Shaw (played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge). According to her, the project is “entirely possible”. Lucasfilm is yet to make an official announcement about this scenario.
We don’t know if the rumoured spinoff will ever receive the greenlight from Disney and Lucasfilm. But we do know that it will not have Harrison Ford as the legendary adventurer and archaeologist, Indiana Jones. The actor has already confirmed that “Dial of Destiny” is his last Indiana Jones project.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will come out in theatres worldwide on June 30. The remaining entries of the franchise are available on Disney+ Hotstar. Stay tuned for more updates.