New Crystal Skull Trailer Available

Click here to check it out! I gotta say, I do love those old Warners shadow shots!

Indy IV Logo

Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull

NEW YORK (AP) -- The title of the new "Indiana Jones" movie, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Harrison Ford, has been revealed.

"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" will be in theaters May 22, 2008.

The title of the long-awaited fourth installment of the adventure series was announced by Shia LaBeouf, who co-stars with Ford in the film, at the MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas on Sunday.

The new Indy adventure, which is set in the 1950s, also stars Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent and Karen Allen.

Sean Connery, who played dad to Ford's globe-trotting archaeologist in 1989's "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," will not reprise the role in the new movie.

The series began in 1981 with "Raiders of the Lost Ark," followed by "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" in 1984.

In promotional photos, the 65-year-old Ford appears fit as ever.

"I have to say, he looks amazing," Kathleen Kennedy, the film's co-executive producer, along with George Lucas, told The Associated Press in July. "He looks fantastic in the outfit."

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Bummer. I was rooting for "Indiana Jones and the City of Gods" myself. Sounds like we're in Sankara Stone territory again.

PS - Here's some not-very-encouraging background on the crystal skull thing.

Someone Will Always Get Nerd-ier

Apparently, the serial number on the crate in the Indy 4 teaser poster is extremely close to the one on the crate packed away at the end of Raiders. According to this article, though, Lucasfilm says that it's not referencing the ark - other than to be a similar catalog number. Two fansites based on the number have already surfaced.

Man! It's amazing how quickly the scrabbling begins.

The Man In The Hat Is Back

On Filmmakers And Sequels

LA TIMES: THE BIG PICTURE | PATRICK GOLDSTEIN
Cue the sequel, and the safe, boring route
May 8, 2007

IS there anyone besides me who is depressed by the news that Steven Spielberg, a great filmmaker with the clout to get any project he wants off the ground, is going off to make … "Indiana Jones 4"?

Due to start filming in mid-June, the latest installment in the long-dormant "Raiders" series is simply the latest example of the movie industry's maniacal devotion to sequels. With "Spider-Man 3" leading the way last weekend, making $151 million in domestic box office, this summer boasts an average of nearly one sequel a week. According to figures from Media by Numbers, there are 14 summer-release sequels in all, up from seven last year and three in 2005. The inflation is striking — there were only 14 summer sequels made from 1998 through 2001.

Hollywood makes sequels for one good reason: They make money. The biggest summer hits of the last three years were all sequels. After its record-setting weekend, Sony Pictures chief Michael Lynton boasted to the BBC that the "Spider-Man" series may continue ad infinitum, saying. "Everybody has every intention of making a fourth, a fifth and a sixth and on and on." Geez, is that a promise or a threat?

The blind urge to make money might let studios off the hook, since there are few people left in Hollywood who expect great films to emerge from the primeval ooze of studio development. Studio chiefs are at least up-front, if you read their interviews about their desire to manage risk, create multiplatform franchises and generally treat movies as a form of brand advertising.

That leaves two culprits: the filmmakers who sign on to make the movies and the millions of filmgoers who line up to see the latest extension of the brand. I'm not a lunatic idealist. I have no beef with a journeyman taking a gig, like TV actor turned director Fred Savage doing a sequel like "Daddy Day Camp." What I find demoralizing is that so many of our most gifted filmmakers are behaving as much like careerists as anyone running a studio.

There's a list — a short one, but still an impressive one — of filmmakers who refuse to turn themselves into brand managers: Martin Scorsese, Michael Mann, Baz Luhrmann, Danny Boyle, Paul Thomas Anderson, Alexander Payne, David Fincher and M. Night Shyamalan, to name a few.

Then look at the great talent who's on the sequel beat: Steven Soderbergh has done two "Ocean's" sequels. Bryan Singer, the wunderkind behind "The Usual Suspects," has done "X-Men 2" and is at work on a sequel to "Superman Returns." Christopher Nolan has left behind the raw originality of "Memento" to do "Batman" movies. Robert Rodriguez, who burst on the scene with "El Mariachi," has done two sequels for "Spy Kids," with a "Sin City" sequel on its way. After making "Darkman" and "A Simple Plan," Sam Raimi seemed poised to be our generation's dark prince of meaty thrillers but has turned himself into an impersonal "Spider-Man" ringmaster instead.

Sequels are not automatically crass or derivative — just ask anyone who's seen "28 Weeks Later," the new sequel to "28 Days Later" directed by the gifted Spanish filmmaker Juan Carlos Fresnadillo. But that's an exception. Francis Ford Coppola may have struck gold with "Godfather II," but you can't use that as a fig leaf when you're doing "Hostel 2" or "Alien vs. Predator 2."

So why spend the best years of your creative life doing something that's already been done? Some filmmakers truly have a sense of artistic proprietary: Once they've started a franchise, they don't want the material slipping into someone else's hands. Others are clearly eager for a paycheck. "But it's not always about the money," says Brett Ratner, who's finishing "Rush Hour 3," one of this summer's many sequels. "I get the same fee for directing an original script as I do for this."

Ratner, who also did the last "X-Men" sequel and "Red Dragon," an installment in the Hannibal Lecter series, admits that franchises aren't creative high points. "I know that Soderbergh's great film isn't going to be one of the 'Ocean's' sequels," he says. "But I don't feel like I'm slumming. If Ridley Scott could do a sequel ["Hannibal"] to a movie than won an Oscar for best picture and hold his head up high, then why couldn't I?"

Ratner insists that sequels are challenges. "You have to make the film feel fresh and keep the audience's expectations satisfied, all at the same time. Trust me, it isn't easy."

But other filmmakers are leery of sequels. "It's kind of sad," says Wayne Kramer, who has directed several critically praised thrillers, including "The Cooler." "It's one thing for studios to not want to make personal films, but now it's some of our best directors too. I thought Sam Raimi did an amazing job with 'Spider-Man,' but I can't imagine why someone that talented would still want to be involved with a third film. I thought he would've gotten it out of his system after No. 2."

Kramer says he keeps turning down sequel offers, preferring to work on something original. "I just don't want to be someone's sequel bitch," he says. "It's very seductive because you know the material is financed, you'll get a big payday and you'll have all the movie toys and extra shooting days that come with it. But why would you want to spend all that time on someone else's story? I want to speak with my own voice."

So why would Spielberg, who sees every great script, want to go back to the "Indy" well? It obviously isn't for the money, since Spielberg and "Indy" producer George Lucas have enough loot to last a hundred lifetimes. According to DreamWorks Co-Chairman Stacey Snider, David Koepp's "Indy" script made all the difference.

"It was the best script we saw all year — by far," she says. "To me, it's not so much a sequel as an affectionate reprise of a beloved character and his story. It has much more in common with the feeling you had when the 'Star Wars' movies were coming back than what you feel about a lot of sequels, which is, 'How do I wring one more dollar out of the franchise?' "

Other Spielberg watchers say that the idea of bringing "Indy" back to life one more time — with soon-to-be 65-year-old Harrison Ford as the aging hero — must have an emotional resonance for Spielberg, who is 60 himself. Spielberg has never apologized for being an entertainer — he directed the sequel to "Jurassic Park" himself. But he also aspires to greatness. And the directors who had the best careers after turning 60, be it Robert Altman, John Huston or Akira Kurosawa, were all mavericks who refused to repeat themselves, preferring to explore the unknown rather than revisit past triumphs.

On the other hand, if there is anything that Spielberg understands, it's what audiences want. And people today have made it clear that when it comes to pop culture, they have a craving for comfort food. Surely it is no coincidence that music fans are being deluged with almost as many rock band reunions as moviegoers are with sequels. This year the list of groups either touring or making a new record include the Police, Genesis, Squeeze, the Stooges, Van Halen, Smashing Pumpkins and Rage Against the Machine.

Once again, the motivation is complicated, but as with sequels, money is clearly a major factor. The Wall Street Journal reported that a Van Halen tour would be a blockbuster, generating sales of up to $34 million. But something else is at work. We seem to have a need to relive the same thrills over and over, as if our culture has become a real-life version of "Groundhog Day." Filmmakers often say they do sequels to earn capital to make more original films. But in their eagerness to reach as large an audience as possible, it's hard to tell where artistic aspirations end and mercenary territory begins.

From "Spider-Man" to "Shrek" to whatever Spielberg has in store for Indiana Jones next summer, mass appeal has become synonymous with cozy and reassuring. Maybe I'm missing a nostalgia gene, but coziness gets old pretty fast. When it comes to entertainment, I'll take excitement and unpredictability over familiarity every time.


"The Big Picture" appears Tuesdays in Calendar. Questions or criticism can be e-mailed to patrick.goldstein@latimes.com.

Frank Darabont Interview

MTV NEWS: After 'Waste Of A Year' On 'Indy 4,' Director Rebounds With Stephen King's 'Mist'
Frank Darabont says his 'Indiana Jones' script was approved by Steven Spielberg, rejected by George Lucas.
By Josh Horowitz - Photo by Dan Tuffs
Apr 17 2007 6:00 AM EDT

It's taken filmmaker Frank Darabont three trips to the Stephen King well to get really horrific. The director of less-frightening King fare "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Green Mile" hopes to scare up some box-office bucks this November with "The Mist."

In his first interview since wrapping an exhausting shoot in Louisiana, Darabont spoke to MTV News about throwing out his director's handbook for this King page-turner. He also opened up about "Indiana Jones," "Fahrenheit 451" and why you'll never catch him at a screening of "Hostel."

MTV: You just finished shooting last week — how are you feeling?

Frank Darabont: I feel like road kill, dude. It was six-day weeks — run and gun. This was half the schedule I'd ever had for a feature. It was a wonderful and horrible experience. I wanted to take everything I knew about directing a movie and turn it on its head. And I actually volunteered to jump into the fire. "Sure, I'll do this really, really fast and let all the ragged edges show! I'll play a little jazz." At a certain point in your life, you're like, "Screw it. I want to try a different way."

MTV: How would you describe the visual approach?

Darabont: It's a bit of a documentary, vérité approach. I was very inspired by "28 Days Later" — that a filmmaker with the chops and credibility of Danny Boyle would say, "Screw it, I'm just going to make a really interesting little gut-punch horror movie."

MTV: What was the initial attraction of "The Mist"?

Darabont: I've always loved this story. One of the things Stephen does well is that he puts people in a trapped situation, a pressure cooker, and then he observes human nature. On the surface, it's a completely unpretentious monster movie: A bunch of people are trapped in a rural supermarket by this mist, and there are horrible creatures in the mist that will kill you. But that's the frosting on the cake. The story itself is what happens to the people inside the market, how they react, how the social dynamic unravels, how civilization falls on its ass because ultimately the monsters that are the scariest are your friends and neighbors. That's what I was interested in: How do people rise to the occasion or not, how do they help each other or tear each other apart?

MTV: Would you say Thomas Jane is your leading man, or is this more of an ensemble?

Darabont: Tom is definitely the lead of the film, but it really does play as an ensemble piece. It's not unlike "The Green Mile," where, yes, Tom Hanks was the lead, but really the movie was an ensemble tapestry.

MTV: What can we expect from those literal monsters inside the mist?

Darabont: We're going to have the monsters rendered by CafeFX, the guys who did all the CGI work in "Pan's Labyrinth." It's challenging now to try to design a monster that doesn't look like somebody else's monster. But I think we've come up with some really cool stuff.

MTV: Do you anticipate an R rating?

Darabont: I'm pretty convinced it would have to be, yeah. There's no way on earth this will ever be PG-13. It's just too intense.

MTV: You obviously are a great lover of the horror genre. What do you think of films like "Hostel" and "Saw"?

Darabont: The torture-porn thing is pretty distasteful. I'm just not into it. Horror unfortunately tends to go in these cycles where it puts itself back in this ghetto. I just don't find anything amusing about people getting tortured. I wish we weren't making these movies. I think it degrades the culture. I think it diminishes the human spirit.

MTV: This marks your third Stephen King adaptation. What else do you have on tap?

Darabont: I have the rights to two of his stories. One is "The Long Walk," which is a tremendously bizarre and powerful little piece. The other is "The Monkey," a very old-school chiller. They're both very human character pieces. I suspect I'll make them on even lower budgets than "The Mist." Hopefully I'll be able to get to one or both this year.

MTV: Are you focused entirely on directing now, rather than writing for other filmmakers?

Darabont: Absolutely. I spent 20 years of my career primarily being a writer for hire. I had a few bad experiences to reinforce the decision that had been forming to get the hell out. I can't be chained to my computer anymore, not for the paycheck.

MTV: Would you say one of those bad experiences is the time you spent writing the aborted "Indiana Jones 4" script?

Darabont: "Indy" is definitely in that category, topping the list. It showed me how badly things can go. I spent a year of very determined effort on something I was very excited about, working very closely with Steven Spielberg and coming up with a result that I and he felt was terrific. He wanted to direct it as his next movie, and then suddenly the whole thing goes down in flames because George Lucas doesn't like the script (see "George Lucas Says Indiana Jones Will Return In May 2008").

MTV: Did you ever speak to George Lucas directly?

Darabont: Yes! I told him he was crazy. I said, "You have a fantastic script. I think you're insane, George." You can say things like that to George, and he doesn't even blink. He's one of the most stubborn men I know.

MTV: Do you know if any remnant of that story lives in the one they're about to start filming?

Darabont: I have no idea if there's a shred of it left. It was a tremendous disappointment and a waste of a year.

MTV: I would think part of you still wants to share that script with the world.

Darabont: I would love it, but it's not my material to disseminate. At this point, I don't give much of a damn what George thinks, but I wouldn't want to harm my friendship with Steven.

MTV: Where are you with your long-in-the-works plan to direct "Fahrenheit 451"?

Darabont: Man, I am hoping that it's my next one. That's the movie I've wanted to make since I was 9 years old. I don't view it as a remake. I don't think the [1966] Truffaut film even came close. I'm pretending it didn't exist. It's really my adaptation of Ray Bradbury's great book. And I think I may be on the verge of a breakthrough in getting it made.

MTV: Does that mean there might be some casting to announce soon?

Darabont: There might be. I'm not at liberty to say. When it happens, I think people will be pretty excited about it.

MTV: Does it feel like now is an appropriate time for a tale like "Fahrenheit"?

Darabont: The time has never been better for "Fahrenheit 451." I think the message is something we need to hear. Anybody who believes authority should be questioned needs this movie. There's a reason that novel has been in print for over half a century. It's one of the most vital antiauthoritarian stories ever written. It also happens to be a really wildly galloping yarn. This would be on the bigger end of the scale for me.

Please, Please Stop

VARIETY: 'Indiana Jones 4' finally has a script
Paramount to begin filming pic in June By PAMELA MCCLINTOCK

After years of languishing in development, the fourth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise is finally moving ahead, as Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Harrison Ford look to reconnect with their blockbuster roots.

For Spielberg in particular, the project marks a return to the kind of pure entertainment fare on which he built his career before his interests turned to more social-minded fare like "Schindler's List," "Saving Private Ryan" and "Munich."

The trio confirmed Monday that Paramount is set to begin lensing the new Indiana Jones pic in June from a script by David Koepp ("Spider-Man").

Par and Lucasfilm, which is producing, are eyeing a May 2008 worldwide release -- some 19 years after the last film in the action-adventure franchise, "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," came out.

Fans have long clamored for another installment in the series, but some questioned whether Ford would be able to keep up with the vigorous physical requirements of the role after the long delay. "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," said Ford, who is 64.

Thesp, who will again topline, had always said he would reprise his role as the adventuring archeologist if he liked the script. Several scribes tried their hand at the project before Koepp was brought aboard in 2005.

"We feel that the script was well worth the wait. We hope it delivers everything you'd expect from our history with Indiana Jones," Spielberg said. "George, Harrison and I are all very excited."

Producer is Frank Marshall, while Kathleen Kennedy and Lucas are exec producing.

For Paramount, the greenlight seems to be another benefit of its pricey acquisition of DreamWorks.

The film doesn't yet have an official title. Producers wouldn't disclose the storyline other than to say there would be plenty of action. Pic will be shot in undisclosed points around the globe, as well as in the U.S.

All told, the first three "Indiana Jones" films grossed more than $1.18 billion at the box office.

The upcoming installment is looking to be Spielberg's next directing project. The helmer continues to alternate wider-appeal projects with more serious dramas: He's also slated to helm "Lincoln," with Liam Neeson attached to star, for DreamWorks. He was last in theaters with "Munich."

Project reunites Spielberg and Koepp, who penned helmer's "War of the Worlds" and "Jurassic Park," among other pics.

Lucas was grand marshal of the 118th annual Rose Parade on Monday, celebrating the 30th anniversary of "Star Wars."

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What's worse than hearing the news of a franchise overstaying its welcome?
The news that a screenwriter you don't like is writing the latest installment.