An iconic movie star Harrison Ford received an honorary Palme d’Or for lifetime achievement at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, as he was at the festival for the first official release of Lucasfilm Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Ford received the Palme d’or d’honneur in front of a packed crowd who came to see the first screening of the highly anticipated sequel.
The director of the festival Thierry Fermaux on stage before the screening to give special thanks to Disney’s “CEO or whatever”, Bob Igerwho attended Cannes with the film’s producer – and Lucasfilm president – Kathleen Kennedy. Calling Ford “one of the greatest stars in cinema”, Fermaux then directed the audience to watch a tribute video specially designed to salute Ford’s career.
A happy but humble Harrison Ford
As the lights came up, and after a standing ovation, a clearly emotional Ford took the microphone and spoke passionately about the honor he had just received, saying it was an honor to work with such James Mangold and Phoebe Waller Bridge on the latest version of the Indiana Jones licensing.
“I am very touched and very moved. They say when you are about to die, you see your life flash before your eyes and, on the screen, I just saw my life flash before my eyes! My life is made possible by my beloved wife, Calista, who has supported my passion and my dreams and I am grateful, and I love you [the audience] too. Thank you. You gave my life purpose and meaning, and for that I am grateful. I am so grateful. I am deeply moved and humbled by this honor, but I have a film that you must see.”
In this latest – and finally, for Ford – out in the Indiana Jones In the series, Waller-Bridge joins Ford as Indy’s goddess Helena, who pulls the archaeologist out of retirement. The film sees 70-year-old Indiana Jones as an older and more jaded character – although it opens with a 25-minute prologue set in the 1940s, with a digitally de-aged Ford to resemble his younger self from the 1980s. The film will also appear Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Thomas Kretschmann, Toby Jones and Boyd Holbrook.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will be released in theaters around the world on June 30. Before then, you can check out the official trailer for the film below.
