Disney put $387M into Indiana Jones 5 and lost $134M on it

Disney had paid $4 billion for Lucasfilm in 2012 and had kept the Indiana Jones franchise dormant for years, uncertain who could inherit Harrison Ford's role. After a fifth film was announced in 2016 and repeatedly postponed, the studio finally greenlit a finale with Ford, now 80, and director James Mangold in early 2020, with a reported initial budget around $250-295 million.

The production ballooned. COVID delays and the digital de-aging of Ford drove the total to an estimated $387.2 million, with another $79 million spent on post-production — a figure disclosed in UK corporate filings by the production's shell company. That made it one of the most expensive films ever made for a leading man in his late seventies fronting a legacy action franchise.

The film opened on 30 June 2023 to mixed reviews and soft previews, grossing $174.5 million domestically and $383.9 million worldwide — far below the break-even line for a movie of its cost. Forbes, citing the film's financial statements, put the loss at $134.2 million. Disney confirmed the write-down and shelved future Indy films, ending the 42-year franchise that began with Raiders of the Lost Ark.

The failure became a fixture in 2024 coverage of Disney's box-office struggles, and the writers' strikes and streaming-era theatre habits only compounded the timing. Lucasfilm has given no sign of reviving the property.