Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny finally hit cinemas just last week, bringing the story of the legendary archaeologist to an end once and for all.
Harrison Ford promoted the picture for weeks talking about how it brought him back to treasure hunting for the final time – but it also brought him face-to-face with some familiar characters.
On top of reuniting with Marion Ravenwood and Helena Shaw, he also worked with Sallah once again, played by John Rhys-Davies.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk about his new paranormal science-fiction movie, The Gates, Rhys-Davies revealed it was an honour to make a comeback as Sallah for one final adventure.
“It’s always nice to revisit a character,” he said of appearing in The Dial of Destiny, before adding: “It was a little less than I thought I was getting into!”
Despite this, Rhys-Davies sighed: “But, you cannot turn down the last Indiana Jones.”
When pressed on whether this will truly be the final outing for Indy and his rag-tag group of misfits, Rhys-Davies guffawed: “In the world of Hollywood, if there’s still money to be made – believe me – there’s no ‘final’ finals.”
With that said, he added: “But I certainly think it probably will be the big box office draw of the summer – and that’s a good thing!”
The 79-year-old Lord of the Rings actor couldn’t help but heap praise on Ford, as well.
Rhys-Davies said: “Harrison really is still one of the great icons of late 20th-century film. He is a great star.”
However, he was quick to follow up: “[Director James] Mangold is a damn good filmmaker. Mechanically, I don’t think this film is as perfect as [Mangold’s 2019 drama] Ford v Ferrari – which is one of the few films recently that I’ve seen three times. It’s a superb piece of filmmaking.
The Gimli star was more enthused about his new thriller, though: The Gates. The Stephen Hall-directed picture stars Rhys-Davies as a mortician photographer who moonlights as a paranormal investigator. With a Shakespearean flair and a young sidekick, it’s got the makings of a fun franchise.
“I like period pieces anyway,” Rhys-Davies said of the Victorian-set picture. “And I wanted to ground it in that strange area where science and the occult are not separated in the English mind, or the civilised man’s mind.”
His character, Frederick Ladbroke, is plagued with taking on the malevolent spirit of serial killer and occultist William Colcott (Richard Brake) before he’s left with more blood on his hands.
And while the picture is dark, mysterious, and (in Rhys-Davies’ words) “over the top” – it was the perfect movie for him.
“I love it,” Rhys-Davies grinned over Zoom. “I loved doing it. I think there’s a real possibility that there may be more of it to come – it’s certainly designed that way.
“I think there is more to be mined there – I’m not sure that, for instance, a trilogy of three would really make it in the big world of cinema, but this is a strange age, and I could see more than three coming from a Netflix series or something like that – I don’t know!”
It was his character that really gripped Rhys-Davies, though: “I think Frederick is a vulnerable man. You know, his life’s dream is to become recognised as being a real heir to the scientific tradition. And he isn’t! And I seldom play characters with a great deal of vulnerability, so that was one fo the things I wanted to do.”
Rhys-Davies was visibly and audibly impassioned while talking about characterisation and crafting his own niche in each project he works on.
“My dear boy,” he crooned. “My dear fellow: The day I get up and say: ‘Ugh, I’ve got to go and act again,’ is the day – I promise you – I’ll quit. I’m 79-years-old, I wake up in the morning filled with joy because I’m going to go to work!”
Honestly, isn’t that something we all hope for?
The Gates is available on digital now.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is in cinemas now.
