After an underwhelming theatrical run, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny topped all VOD charts. The fifth and final installment in the Indiana Jones series stars Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, and Mads Mikkelsen.
As reported by IndieWire, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny took the number-one position on all VOD charts during a week when four recent theatrical releases — Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, The Last Voyage of the Demeter, Mutant, and The Boogeyman — became available on PVOD simultaneously.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Lost $100 Million During Its Theatrical Run
As reported by Variety, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will lose up to $100 million at the box office for several reasons. The primary reason is the sequel's budget and marketing costs. Indy 5 cost $300 million before marketing, which adds an additional $100 million to the total money spent. This makes it not only one of the most expensive films of all time; it would have to make in the neighborhood of $600 million to break even and more than $800 million to be considered a success. As of press time, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny has pulled in $371 million globally.
“These movies would have been a lot more economical if it weren’t for COVID,” says Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at Boxoffice Pro, referring to both Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One. “But even if that meant their budgets were inflated, at the end of the day, these movies cost what they cost and performed how they performed.”
Fan-favorite movies such as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny have a shot at turning a profit after home video sales, as well as when cable and streaming deals are taken into account. Still, studio bean counters prefer immediate returns on investments. “There’s an opportunity to make money back with streaming and other sales, but that’s long into the future,” says Jeff Bock, an analyst with Exhibitor Relations. “It’s playing the long game instead of the short game. They don’t want to be profitable in 25 years.”
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is available to purchase at the PVOD price of $19.99 on digital providers such as Vudu and Prime Video. It is still playing at a few theaters nationwide but is winding down its theatrical run that began on June 30.