Phoebe Waller-Bridge is a wildly impressive actor, writer and producer who has gathered a nice little collection of Emmys through amazing projects like Fleabag and the ratings record-breaking Killing Eve. Now she’s coming to the silver screen as Indiana Jones’ goddaughter Helena Shaw in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Some may think this is a slight departure for the multi-hyphenate, but as it turns out, she’s always been infatuated with the subject matter, though as she told CinemaBlend, she never predicted such an opportunity in her wildest dreams.
Given the fact that Killing Eve is also a globetrotting adventure full of mystery, I didn’t feel that it was too far of a departure at all, despite the fact that the show centering around an assassin makes for some darker subject matter. When I suspected that perhaps an Indiana Jones film would be an absolute dream for someone like Phoebe Waller-Bridge, she confirmed to me that it was, although she would have never considered it to be within reach:
I mean, I grew up loving these movies. I grew up loving adventure movies, action movies and anything to do with history and dust and caves and awe and uncovering things. But I never got to a place in my life or my career where I thought, ‘one day I'll be an Indiana Jones film!’ I never got quite that far. But yeah, it was really a dream come true in so many ways.
Well, she may not have seen the project coming, but she stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the park. Her addition to the franchise certainly enhances it as a whole. Given the fact that Dial of Destiny was a dream come true for Waller-Bridge, she must be grateful that it came to fruition at all. Director James Mangold himself told me that there were some massive hurdles making an Indiana Jones film today, and at 80 years of age, there has been speculation of Harrison Ford retiring. Thankfully for her, Ford isn't showing signs of slowing down anytime soon, and he stuck around the industry long enough to knock an item off of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s bucket list.
Our own review will tell you that Dial of Destiny is a pleasantly nostalgic ride. Harrison Ford is just as confident as ever fitting back into the role, Steven Spielberg was on board to give advice, and Mangold even got John Williams returning to score! It’s a recipe for success. The film isn’t strictly appealing to the nostalgia generation, as they’re also breaking new ground in their own right, exploring elements like time travel and giving Indy a badass female counterpart in the form of Waller-Bridge’s Helena Shaw.
You can see Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny on Friday, June 30! If you’d like to do a franchise rewatch before walking into the theater, we have you covered as to where you can watch each Indiana Jones movie. The Dial of Destiny is just the latest offering in the summer 2023 release schedule, so keep up with CinemaBlend for the latest updates!
