Cannes 2023; if Indiana Jones is hanging up his fedora, is this the end of Harrison Ford at Cannes Film Fest?

The fedora is officially being hung up for Harrison Ford and his almost iconic Indiana Jones character - we’re still of the belief Han Solo is the role of his career. But as Cannes Film Festival heads into its weekend session of screenings, today marks the anticipated screening of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny with its cast set of the all important photo call ahead of its premiere. 

We know this as weeks ago it was confirmed that Harrison Ford and director James Mangold will be in attendance at this evening’s premiere, alongside other cast members Boyd Holbrook, Antonio Banderas and British actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who appears as Indiana’s god-daughter Helena Shaw and possibly taking over the Indiana Jones mantle going forwards… which we await the inevitable online war of words should that prophecy come to pass.

Believe it or not though, this evening’s premiere of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny has a lot riding on it; the last time Harrison Ford donned the fedora was for 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull which received lukewarm reviews at best and the derision of the fandom at worst. In particular, it gave rise to the slang term “fridging” - that is, someone in unbelievable circumstances managing to survive in the most flimsy way possible. In Crystal Skull’s case, it was Indy surviving a nuclear blast by leaping into a fridge.

But given that the latest entry is helmed by James Mangold, who struck up a friendship with Ford after offering him a role in the 2019 film Ford v Ferrari (known as Le Mans '66 in some countries), there are some high hopes that Indiana Jones, and Harrison Ford in the role, will go out on a high rather than the mess that was the last Indiana Jones.

Let’s be honest - they can’t all be 1981’s Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, as much as we all want it to be.

Cannes Film Festival will be screening a tribute to Harrison Ford, who has made several appearances at the festival throughout his illustrious career, but how many times has Harrison Ford appeared at the French Riviera based event - and what films was he promoting during his media appearances?

What movies has Harrison Ford attended that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival?

Though we’re not too sure about the explicit movements of Harrison Ford throughout his appearances across the multitude of film festivals and media appearances he’s undertaken, he has indeed been involved in the Cannes Film Festival premiere of three films ahead of his final Indiana Jones outing - unfortunately, one of those involved Indiana Jones also…

1998 - Frantic (Roman Polanski)

Directed by the controversial Roman Polanski, Frantic saw Harrison Ford journey to France twice for the film; once for filming purposes - with the tale set around a doctor searching for his missing wife in Paris - and the second time for the all important red stair opening of the film. 

Despite the controversies surrounding Roman Polanski, the Polish director still remains a popular figure with Cannes organisers, having served as both a juror and lead judge across the 76 years of the festival. 

Frantic box office total: $17.6 million USD

2008 - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Steven Spielberg)

It should have been the perfect storm - Harrison Ford as Indiana, Steven Speilberg and George Lucas behind the camera and a burgeoning young talent named Shia Lebouf possibly taking over the Indiana Jones mantle in spirit if not by name. 

Despite getting a large box office and critical reception a lot warmer than public perception, it is still deemed as the weakest in the Indiana Jones filmography - and it took 15 years to convince Ford to give the character one last run out.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull box office: $317.0M USD

2014 - The Expendables 3 (Sylvester Stallone)

Harrison Ford’s involvement in The Expendables 3 came after a dispute between director Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis during the filming of the popular third film of the action franchise. Some very choice words were thrown towards Willis and his professionalism, all of which Stallone has apologised for in the years since.

There are some film buffs who believe that the 2014 edition of the Cannes Film Festival was when big Hollywood studios would premiere their summer blockbusters, moving away from the more independent, art house cinema sentiments that the festival built itself upon. But you cannot argue that the photo call boasted enough power on the red carpet that it kind of deserved its premiere at Cannes Film Festival - especially if you consider the post-ironic elements within Stallone's fun action romp.

The Expendables 3 box office: $214.7 million USD

2018 - Blade Runner 2049 (Denis Villeneuve)

Harrison Ford redeemed himself in the eyes of the more serious movie-goer when he returned to one of his numerous iconic roles at Cannes 2018; Rick Deckard in the long awaited, eagerly anticipated sequel to Ridley Scott’s genre-defining feature Blade Runner.

Ably picked up by director du jour Denis Villeneuve, Blade Runner 2049 was, much like Dial of Destiny, one of the most eagerly anticipated screenings at Cannes Film Festival 2018. It was worth the wait - the film received plaudits from both critics and audiences and gave our favourite replicant hunter a good send off - and once again highlighted that despite being decked out in Barbiecore recently, Ryan Gosling can play hard-nosed film noir hero easily (see: Drive.)

Blade Runner 2049 box office: $267.5 million USD