Disney’s Indiana Jones franchise faces box office failure as rumors of a female lead taking over circulate.

Disney’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” Faces Box Office Bomb Amid Controversy

Despite reviving the beloved 1980s film franchise, Disney/Lucasfilm’s latest installment, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” is destined to flop at the box office. Rumors circulated that the female lead would replace or belittle the adventurous hero, leading to a lack of interest from audiences.

During its three-day opening weekend, the fifth and final installment grossed $60 million in the U.S., falling short of projections. In comparison, the previous film in the franchise, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” had a domestic gross of $100 million over its opening weekend 15 years ago.

The sequel is expected to have a domestic total of $211 million to $325 million. However, its performance at the box office failure as rumors of a female lead taking over circulate.”>worldwide box office remains uncertain.

Controversial Plot Point and Speculation

A leaked plot point alleged that Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s character, Helena Shaw, punched and knocked out Harrison Ford’s Indy to save the day. This turned out to be true, as confirmed by the film. There were also rumors of Waller-Bridge’s character replacing Indy and potentially starring in her own spinoff. However, the final film did not confirm these speculations.

Director James Mangold expressed disinterest in helming a future project with Waller-Bridge in the lead, stating that it would be more like “large-scale advertising” than storytelling. Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy also clarified that while a Shaw-led project is possible, there are no current plans for it.

Despite the controversy, the film disrespected Indy while touting Shaw as a “strong female protagonist” who lacked depth and development throughout the runtime.

Disappointing Box Office Performance

With such a nostalgic character returning to the big screen, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” should have been a box office hit. However, it is set to lose upwards of $260 million, falling well below its break-even point.

The film’s production budget was reported to be $295 million before marketing, pushing its break-even point to the range of $737 million to $885 million. Based on its current trajectory, it is unlikely to reach the necessary mark for profitability.

Despite a 68 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” is another box office failure for Disney. The studio has recently faced similar disappointments with films like “Lightyear,” “Strange World,” “The Little Mermaid” live-action remake, and “Elemental.”

It remains to be seen what the future holds for the franchise and Waller-Bridge’s involvement. However, it is clear that the controversy surrounding the film has had a negative impact on its box office performance.

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