This article appears in the new issue ofDEN OF GEEKmagazine.
James Mangolddid not say no, exactly, toIndiana Joneswhen the man in the fedora came knocking.
But he didnt kick off the door at first either.
What does it have to say?
And Mangold needed a delay.
Says the director, The script wasnt there, and I felt like I wasnt there.
I needed to find a way in.
I needed to somehow own something like this if I was going to do it.
Its not a gig you jump on.
The director recognizes the parallels too but sees Indy as a fundamentally different character.
It isnt that this story uniquely appeals to me, Mangold considers, its that the opposite thing doesnt.
Ive seen many movies, even in our modern franchise context, fail.
For the director, embracing Indys age and vulnerabilityisthe appeal.
My actor is 79 years old, and we got to be real.
However, lest you fret,Indy 5is not going to be a dirge.
Hes finally retiring from university and lives in a world where hes become his own relic.
Its on steroids, but his whole language and vernacular are built off classic Hollywood cinema.
Mangold intends to channel that inDial of Destinywhile aiming to make it appear like a jarring anachronism.
Its not happening anymore.
Says the filmmaker, Im not into the shaky-cam, fucking 75 cameras pointed in every direction insanity.
Thats what Stevens work teaches us all the time.
Now all three are collaborators onDial of Destiny.
!But the actor is more than just a whip and hat.
Harrison is always looking to undermine his own good looks and seeming invincibility, says Mangold.
He is not an actor whos going make me look good all the time.
He wants to look sloppy, bad, real…
He wants to be full of jealousies, anguishes, trivial, petty grudges, anger, and miscalculations.
I know Harrison pretty well, and hes a handful in a wonderful way, Mangold says.
He likes to argue; he likes to push back and pull on the scenes.
It probably didnt hurt that the director was watchingFleabagseason two while developing the script.
As it turned out, Ford was also a fan after recently bingingFleabag.
We both just said to Kathy Kennedy, Get her.
Its this wonderful combination of mess and art.
Once again, Mangold seems determined to unite Indy with his cinematic heritage.
Still,Dial of Destinyat last gives him permission to indulge all of it.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destinyopens on June 30.
