Cannes Flashback: The Fest Bore ‘Witness’ to Harrison Ford’s Star Power 

Harrison Ford will once again don the signature leather jacket and fedora of intrepid archaeologist Indiana Jones when Disney unveils Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny at Cannes in an out-of-competition slot this year.

Directed by James Mangold, the film marks the fifth time Ford has played Indy and comes 15 years after Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull also premiered at the festival. But Ford, who will receive a special tribute at this year’s fest, never expected Indy — nor his other signature character, Star Wars’ Han Solo — to have such longevity.

When the actor visited Cannes in 1985 on behalf of Peter Weir’s crime thriller Witness, in which he played a police detective called upon to protect an Amish woman (Kelly McGillis) and her son, it provided the opportunity to show he was interested in doing more than high-octane blockbusters. Yet when he sat down with British journalist Barry Norman, the latter was more interested in talking about Ford’s three Star Wars movies and two Indiana Jones films. Asked if he ever felt overwhelmed by all their special effects and action beats, Ford deflected: “If I’m overwhelmed by the special effects, that’s a judgment that the film is out of control…the human part of the story is lost.”

Noting that “it’s always been my ambition to do different sorts of films, play different characters,” Ford added, “I’m not going to do another Star Wars film. That episode in my life is concluded.” And he continued, “We’re due to make one more Indiana Jones film, and I think that will be enough.” History, of course, played out differently.