Indiana Jones 5’s unusual Disney Plus release schedule doesn’t make any sense

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is finally set to launch on Disney Plus – and, bizarrely, it’s getting a staggered release on the streamer.

In an announcement posted on its social media channels, Disney confirmed that Harrison Ford’s final outing as the iconic archaeologist would make its Disney Plus debut on Friday, December 1. The action-adventure film’s arrival on the platform was subsequently confirmed in a press release from Disney’s US PR team.

Ordinarily, that would be the end of the story. Disney usually releases new movies – those that initially debuted in theaters, anyway – on its primary streaming service on the same date worldwide. That means users living outside of the US can watch Disney’s latest blockbusters on one of the world’s best streaming services at the same time as their American counterparts.

But there’s a sting in the tail for UK audiences looking forward to watching the fifth Indiana Jones movie. In a separate press release, Disney’s UK PR department revealed that Indiana Jones 5 won’t launch on Disney Plus until Friday, December 15 – a whole two weeks after it arrives stateside. There’s no information on when it’ll arrive in Australia, either.

Disney hasn’t explained why Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will launch on a different date in the UK, but to my mind it’s a weird decision. Other big-budget Disney-owned films, whether they’re the newest Marvel, Pixar, or Walt Disney Animation Studios movies, have always made their Disney Plus debut on the same date globally. 

The only exceptions to this rule are 20th Century Studios films and Hulu-exclusive flicks, which land on the US-only streamer first before arriving on Disney Plus Star in the UK and Australia. Indiana Jones 5‘s staggered worldwide release is the first of its kind that I can think of, so it’s strange that Disney plans to bring the film to the same streaming service on separate dates. I’ve reached out to Disney’s US and UK PR teams for an official comment, and I’ll update this article if I hear back.

Indiana Jones 5 originally arrived in theaters in mid-June (Image credit: Lucasfilm)

Indiana Jones 5‘s arrival on Disney Plus comes four months later than it was rumored to be debuting on the platform. In August, we reported on one piece of gossip that suggested Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny would debut on Disney Plus later that month. Of course, that didn’t happen, and it just goes to show that you shouldn’t believe everything you read on the internet.

Still, it’s pleasing to finally learn when the whip-cracking, fedora-wearing adventurer’s latest outing will make its official streaming debut – especially for anyone who didn’t see it in theaters. In May, we reported on Indiana Jones 5‘s first reviews, and they didn’t look great for a movie that fans were hoping would be a thrilling and emotive finale to Ford’s time as the man affectionally dubbed ‘Indy’.

That reception likely contributed to The Dial of Destiny underperforming at the box office, with the James Mangold-directed flick earning just $383.9 million globally. Even with its 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes suggesting that it’s been more favorably received by audiences than by critics, on a reported budget of $300 million, that’s not a good look.

If you want to make up your mind about whether Indiana Jones 5 is any good, you don’t have long to wait for one of 2023’s final new Disney Plus movies. Well, unless you live in the UK, that is.

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