Lucasfilm Sued Over Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny
Lucasfilm, the production company behind Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, is entangled in a lawsuit over a backpack used by the titular adventurer in the latest installment of the franchise. According to The Hollywood Reporter, outdoor apparel company Fox River filed a suit in California federal court accusing Lucasfilm of using its products without permission.
In the film, Indiana Jones is seen wearing a knapsack-style bag, which includes a drawstring-topped main compartment and a flap cover. After allegedly using the product without permission, Frost River claims that Lucasfilm removed any identifying marks on the bag, which potentially infringes upon the Lanham Act, a federal trademark law.
Fox River filed suit against Lucasfilm, saying the movie used one of its bags and removed identifying logos without permission.
The lawsuit also states that Lucasfilm is guilty of deceptive marketing for the Indiana Jones movie as it then passed off Frost River signature backpacks as a Filson product. “This lawsuit concerns two corporate juggernauts, Filson and Lucasfilm, exploiting the hard work and intellectual property of Frost River, a small American company,” the complaint says.
As part of its marketing efforts, Lucasfilm collaborated with Filson on a campaign to promote Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Filson’s clothing products. According to Devin McRae, a lawyer representing Frost River, Lucasfilm, and Filson created a 60-second commercial that featured scenes from Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, along with clips of actors using Filson’s products.
According to Frost River, one of the clips in the commercial showcased Frost River’s Geologist Pack, and allegedly was used without proper authorization or permission. As such, Frost River says the marketing aims to trick people into believing that the bags featured in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and advertisements are sold by Filson.
Indiana Jones at the Box Office
Although Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny didn’t fully meet the studio’s box office expectations, the film is not a complete failure. It recently managed to recoup its extravagant budget and break even. The fifth installment in the franchise grossed $308 million at the international box office, surpassing its estimated budget of $295 million.
Of the total, approximately $151 million was earned in the United States and Canada, with an additional $157 million coming from overseas ticket sales. While reaching $308 million is impressive, the concern lies in the fact that coupled with the lawsuit, the high budget and additional marketing expenses may ultimately lead to minimal profits for Disney and Lucasfilm.
Although the reviews for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny were not flawless, they leaned more towards the positive side, resulting in a 69 percent fresh critics score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. The audience score is significantly higher at 88 percent. Although the future of the franchise remains uncertain, there are possibilities for continuation even if Harrison Ford’s Indy has retired his whip and fedora.
The Future Of Indiana Jones
Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s character, Helena Shaw, could embark on new adventures. Ke Huy Quan has also expressed interest in revisiting his character, Short Round, after winning an Academy Award for Everything Everywhere All at Once. However, given the substantial cost involved in producing Indiana Jones projects, the feasibility of potential spinoffs seems unlikely.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is currently playing in theaters worldwide.
