Harrison Ford Imagines His Retirement Speech For Indiana Jones Fans
More than 40 years after he introduced adventurous archaeologist Indiana Jones to the movie masses, Harrison Ford is waxing poetic about the legacy of the legendary character. This comes as Ford is preparing to take one last bow with "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny."
In the fifth and final chapter in the film saga, Indiana is winding down his career as a college professor of archeology while struggling with some deeply personal issues that have affected his life. After his retirement party from the college, Indiana is approached by his goddaughter, Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), who is hoping to recruit him to go on one final adventure and find a time portal opening device known as the Dial of Destiny.
Referencing Indiana's retirement scene in the film, Entertainment Weekly asked Ford what he would say to fans of the franchise if he were to actually give a retirement speech to them. In the "Dial of Destiny," Indy simply tells his colleagues at the retirement party, "Thanks for putting up with me" — words Ford said he would repeat if he gave a similar speech to fans, plus a bit more.
"[I'd say], 'Thanks for putting up with me. I hope you've had a good time... I sure have,'" Ford told EW.
Ford is thrilled how Indiana Jones was discovered by new generations
The character of Indiana Jones was created by George Lucas and Phillip Kaufman, while Lucas' close friend, Steven Spielberg, directed the first four films in the saga, beginning with "Raiders of the Lost Ark" in 1981. Harrison Ford, of course, reprised his role as Indy for 1984's "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," 1987's "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," and 2008's "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."
Now, Ford is back for one last hurrah under the auspices of director James Mangold for "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," while Lucas and Spielberg have moved into executive producer roles. The beauty of "The Dial of Destiny," Ford noted for EW, is that Mangold acknowledges how he has been influenced by Spielberg's work. One of the ways Mangold collaborated with Spielberg and Lucas on the film was the incorporation of decades-old footage of Ford that fans never got to see from the Lucasfilm archive, which aided in the actor's de-aging scenes.
As Ford prepares to give one final tip of the fedora as Indy, he noted how grateful he was for the "Indiana Jones" fans for supporting the films. "There is an audience loyalty that is exceptional. I guess it has to do with rinse and repeat, perhaps, but it is gratifying," Ford told EW. "And what's more gratifying even than that is the fact that these movies have been passed on from generation to generation in families. And that really has introduced me to new generations of filmgoers."
"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" opens in theaters this week.