A Disappointing $60 Million Debut in North America for Indiana Jones

Indiana Jones, along with the executives at Walt Disney Co. and Lucasfilm, found themselves in a somewhat discouraging situation this weekend. “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” which is Harrison Ford’s final appearance as the famed archaeologist, did not generate the expected significant theatre attendance.

With a budget reported to be above $250 million, the film managed to generate a meager $60 million from ticket sales in 4,600 North American theatres, according to studio estimates on Sunday. This was on the lower end of the expectations.

In 52 markets worldwide, the “Dial of Destiny” added another $70 million, marking a total global opening of $130 million. Despite securing the No. 1 spot, it did not deliver the blockbuster farewell to the renowned actor-character duo that was anticipated. Disney expects domestic earnings to reach $82 million by the Fourth of July holiday, and $152 million worldwide.

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“Dial of Destiny” is the long-awaited fifth chapter in the adventure series by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, which debuted in 1981. It’s the first installment not directed by Spielberg, with James Mangold stepping in. The Spielberg-endorsed script features an aged Dr. Jones leaving his academic position and embarking on a fresh quest with his goddaughter Helena, portrayed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s senior media analyst, noted, “It’s remarkable that a 40-year-old franchise is still No. 1 at the box office. However, the initial performance of this film had much higher expectations. This is Indiana Jones, a summer blockbuster icon.”

Despite a grand premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May and a tribute to Ford, who stated this would be his last portrayal of the character, the film received a lukewarm reception. This was an unanticipated setback, particularly after the poorly received fourth film, 2008’s “Indiana Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” An additional issue was the target audience, older viewers, who are typically not the first to buy tickets for big blockbusters on opening weekends. Yet even “Crystal Skull,” with a reported budget of $185 million, amassed over $790 million.

The sentiment coming out of Cannes was powerful and influential,” Dergarabedian said. “It triggered a narrative of disappointment among viewers who hadn’t even seen the film.”

The second position was taken by “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” which generated $11.5 million, bringing its domestic total to approximately $340 million. “Elemental” placed third with $11.3 million.

Apart from “Dial of Destiny,” the other main new release, the animated “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken,” debuted in sixth place with earnings of $5.2 million.

This underwhelming debut for “Dial of Destiny” follows a trend of disappointing openings in North America, most recently with Warner Bros.’ “The Flash” and Disney/Pixar’s “Elemental,” which also had a mixed reception at Cannes.

Nonetheless, in its three weeks in theaters, “Elemental” has performed better than “The Flash,” which dropped to $5 million, bringing its domestic total to $99.3 million. Disney also saw positive results with “The Little Mermaid,” now