*Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom* was released in 1984. Its United States release date was May 23, 1984, making it the second film in the Indiana Jones series by release order.
Directed by Steven Spielberg and based on a story by George Lucas, the film is actually set before *Raiders of the Lost Ark*. The story takes place in 1935 and follows Indiana Jones, singer Willie Scott, and the young orphan Short Round as they become involved with the Thuggee cult in India.
The year is sometimes confused with 1981, the release year of *Raiders of the Lost Ark*, or 1989, when *Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade* arrived. *Temple of Doom* was also released in the same year as another Spielberg-produced film, *Gremlins*, and controversy over the two films’ intense content helped prompt the creation of the PG-13 rating.
The film became a major commercial success, earning about $333.1 million worldwide. It later won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, while its darker tone and depictions of India have remained subjects of critical discussion.