Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny officially opens in theaters today, June 30, but the film technically debuted on Thursday night with the first preview screenings. The movie earned $7.2 million from these previews in the US, to kickstart the film's first weekend at the box office.
The movie is projected to earn $65 million in the US for its opening weekend, which Variety said would be a «solid start.» However, the film carries a gargantuan $295 million budget, thanks in part to the de-aging technology for star Harrison Ford. What's more, the $295 million budget does not cover marketing and promotional costs.
Variety reported that The Dial of Destiny turning a profit might be Indiana Jones' «greatest challenge yet.» The movie is debuting right in time for the 4th of July holiday in America, and that could help juice numbers with people off from school and work.
The Dial of Destiny is the first Indiana Jones film since 2008's Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. That movie didn't get the hottest review scores, but it made $100 million for its opening weekend in the US, going on to post $317 million stateside and $473 million internationally for a global haul of $790 million when all was said and done.
Ford is expected to hang up the fedora and whip after The Dial of Destiny, saying recently that he is done with the character.
Beyond The Dial of Destiny and the reported TV show for Disney Plus, Wolfenstein developer MachineGames is developing a new Indiana Jones game. Bethesda boss Todd Howard--a big fan of the series--is an executive producer on the forthcoming title.
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