It’s been over 40 years since Harrison Ford first went on an archaeological action tour in the blockbuster Raiders of the Lost Ark. Mega-successful, of course. The scavenger hunt through jungle palaces and creepy tombs has even shaped its own film language and aesthetics over the years.
With the fifth part of the saga that has now started, the crowning farewell of the meanwhile 80-year-old leading actor with leather hat and whip should once again bring in lavish income for the Disney Group.
But the wheel of fortune is not yet turning at the desired speed. As the world’s largest theme park website “Inside the Magic” (ITM) reports, the first cinema weekend in the USA, which is important for further success, seems to be starting rather tepidly. At least compared to the high expectations of the Disney strategists.
In the first projections, “Dial of Destiny” (the original title) accounts for a first “disappointing” box office result of around 60 million US dollars. Which, according to box office pundits, is about $40 million below the first box office collapse of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. In the 2008 part of the cinema spectacle, the 100 million dollar bar was just skipped.
For comparison, Disney’s most recent 2023 opening balances, such as The Little Mermaid, are $117 million; the sci-fi battle “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3” has 118 million. In contrast, the 60 million for the new “Indy” sound a bit poor.
The “ITM” magazine points out that only the final billed cinema tickets allow a final blockbuster ranking. But Disney is said to have intensified the advertising and marketing measures in the run-up to the international roll-out.
A new tactic for the European market is to offer free Indiana Jones tickets to Disneyland parks near Paris annual pass holders. Very similar to the start-up program that was also installed on “The Little Mermaid” in early June.
In detail, the measures are as follows:
On July 8th and 9th, Annual Pass holders known as Infinity or Magic+ (plus one guest) are invited to attend a French screening of Dial of Destiny.
The screenings will take place both days at 6pm and 8.45pm at the Discoveryland Theater in Disneyland, France. Free Indiana Jones tickets are now available for Annual Pass holders on the Disneyland Paris website.
In specialist circles, there is meanwhile speculation as to whether the finale of the Indiana Jones hunt can still reach the next generation of cinemas in large numbers. Or only cinema-romantic boomers can be lured with the mix of humor and scientific charm.