Steven Spielberg had a big impact on James Mangold as he was creating “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.”
In the franchise’s last film, the 59-year-old filmmaker, who took Spielberg’s place behind the camera, was constantly alluding to the legendary work of his predecessor. Speaking to Variety, James said: “I wasn’t looking to make the movie my own. I would say I was looking to have a voice.
You don’t want me to play like Steven, but I do want to use the same hymnal and equipment. I’m pitch-hitting for Babe Ruth, after all. At least I have to occasionally utilise my own swing. But the truth is that I consider what he would do and how he would do it every day. I tried to make the movie as close to his as I could. It didn’t strike me as being dangerous at all.
James did frequently discuss the “mechanics” of an Indiana Jones movie with the Jaws director while the movie was being made. “Think of shooting a ‘Indiana Jones’ movie like you’re shooting a trailer – no scene can ever last,” he remembers Steven telling him.