Indy 4 was in development hell since the 1989 release of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, because Spielberg and Ford initially disagreed over Lucas's choice of the skulls as the plot device.
The fourth film in the Indiana Jones film series is set in 1957, making it nineteen years since Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, thus acknowledging the real-life passing of years between films. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull pits an older and wiser Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) against agents of the Soviet Union—led by Spalko (Cate Blanchett)—for the crystal skull."The theory is they are shaped by higher powers or alien powers or came from another world, or an ancient Mayan civilization had the powers," producer Frank Marshall explained. Indy's journey takes him across New Mexico, Connecticut, Mexico City, and the jungles of Peru, as well as the warehouse from the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark.Indy is assisted by his former lover Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) as well as the greaser Mutt (Shia LaBeouf) and fellow archaeologist Mac (Ray Winstone). John Hurt and Jim Broadbent also play fellow academics.Sean Connery turned down making a cameo appearance as Henry Jones, Sr., finding retirement too enjoyable. Lucas stated that in hindsight it was good that Connery did not briefly appear, as it would disappoint the audience when his character would not come along for the film's adventure. Ford joked, "As I told Sean, I’m getting old enough to play my own father, so we don’t need him anymore."
There will be mild humor regarding Indiana's age.
Development
During the late 1970s, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg made a deal with Paramount Pictures for five films about archaeologist Indiana Jones. Following the theatrical release of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in 1989, Lucas let the series end as he felt he could not think of a good plot device to drive the next installment. However, he declared that if he ever found a new plot device that all three men liked, he would consider a fourth film. Lucas became fascinated with the crystal skulls while producing The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles in 1992, as it was an idea in an unused script. He was shooting Harrison Ford's cameo when he learned of them, and felt they were as powerful a concept as the Ark of the Covenant was. In 1992, Jeb Stuart was writing the screenplay, and Last Crusade writer Jeffrey Boam was set to pen another draft three years later. However, Spielberg and Ford were not interested in the skulls, and development halted when Lucas made the Star Wars prequels.
Meanwhile, author Max McCoy incorporated the crystal skull mythology as a recurring theme in his four Indiana Jones novels, and the skull was also featured in the 2001 Tokyo Disney theme park attraction Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull. The film's long gestation coincided with Ford growing older, and this meant the filmmakers were allowed to give a new approach and setting. Instead of tributing Republic Pictures's 1930s serials, the film could instead tribute a 1950s B-movie, which give the skulls an appropriate context given their origins.[8] Lucas's favorite B-movie of that era was Forbidden Planet. By 2000, Spielberg's personal interest was ignited as his son asked when the next Indiana Jones film would be released. M. Night Shyamalan was hired as Boam's replacement for an intended 2002 shoot, but he was overwhelmed writing a sequel to a film he loved like Raiders of the Lost Ark, and claimed it was difficult to get Ford, Spielberg, and Lucas to focus.
Afterwards, Stephen Gaghan and Tom Stoppard were approached to write a new screenplay. With a title already planned, Frank Darabont, who wrote several episodes of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, was hired in May 2002 to write. Darabont's screenplay was set in the 1950s, with surviving Nazis pursuing Jones. Darabont came up with reintroducing Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), but he did not include Indy's son, as rumored. In December 2002, Spielberg said he planned to shoot two films before filming Indiana Jones 4 in 2004 for a 2005 release. In February 2004, Lucas rejected the draft for reasons unknown, although Spielberg called this version the best screenplay since Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Jeff Nathanson was hired in October 2004 to write a new draft, which was set around 1949. Completed a year later, the script was handed over to David Koepp. As 2006 began, Harrison Ford declared if the film was not made by 2008, then the filmmakers should drop the idea altogether. Spielberg confirmed Indiana Jones 4 as his next film, calling it "the sweet dessert I give those who had to chow down on the bitter herbs that I've used in Munich". Koepp looked at all previous scripts, and kept what he felt were good ideas. He tried not to make his work a "fan script", in that he hoped to avoid any trivial references to the previous films. He also aimed to make it less dark than Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom yet less comic than Last Crusade, aiming for the balance from the first film. Frank Marshall disagreed, feeling the film's banter made it tonally closer to Last Crusade.
Shooting began on June 18, 2007 .Filming wrapped on October 12,2007.Although he originally found no need for re-shoots after viewing his first cut of the film, Spielberg decided to add an establishing shot, which was filmed on February 29, 2008 at Pasadena, California.
According to a Variety report, the premiere date for the long-awaited action adventure has been set for Sunday, May 18. The movie opens worldwide on May 22.
Quotes
-"We're working on it, we're working on it .We've been working on it for 10 years. I think it'll be a great film, but it's completely different. It's still got a lot of action, and it's still very funny. I think it works like crazy." (5/2006) George Lucas/MTV
-"It's going to be fantastic. It's going to be the best one yet." (1/2007) George Lucas/Associated Press
-"I'm delighted to be back in business with my old friends. I don't know if the pants still fit, but I know the hat will." (1/2007) Harrison Ford
-"It's looking very good to do another one. I haven't felt this positive about it happening in a long time... but if it doesn't happen in the next two years we should all forget it." (1/2006) Harrison Ford/Contact Music
- Can Harrison Ford, who's in his sixties now, still handle Indiana Jones?
The upcoming fourth film in the series will be as action-packed as expected, producer George Lucas recently confirmed to USA Today. However, he doesn't think Ford will have trouble keeping up. The key lies in how the action is done.
"[Indy's] not running in any of the movies. He's either on a horse or driving a car or a motorcycle. And he'll play his age in this movie with what's appropriate. The chases are more suspenseful than speedy. Like the rolling ball in the first film — it's not that he's running that fast, it's that there's a giant ball coming at him.
"And he will get beat up, which is a tradition for us." (4/2007 ign.com)
Teaser trailer
Writer/Director Frank Darabont ("The Shawshank Redemption," "The Green Mile," "The Mist") talks with Marcus Leshock about his initial draft of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dakdQP6DTU
Indiana Jones 4 and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Behind the Scenes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYutwZKloR8
