Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

[Pubrick]

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Shiite | Steven Spielberg | George Lucas

hahaha. the only ray of light in an otherwise grim update.

[Gold Trumpet]

I'm not as mortified as everyone else about Shia LeBeouf doing Indiana Jones. When I watch the old Indiana Jones movies, the only thing not campy in those movies is Harrison Ford himself. Everyone else was on caricature auto drive.

The problem I have is why even introduce a son to the Indiana Jones. The off shoot of this character is that he will eventually fill his shoes because the studios won't be able to resist doing another sequel. They have been protective of the series for Speilberg's sake, but pressure could come in our current sequel frenzy and Speilberg could allow the series to go on with LeBeouf considering he was able to allow the Jurassic Park series to go on without him. I just can't think of anyone, especially not Shia LeBeouf, who could have the same intangibles that Harrison Ford had in the role.

[modage]

even if we assume that shia is not terrible, its that he's already done the wisecracking kid sidekick part in Constantine AND I, Robot.

i am interested in seeing the new spielberg merge with the old spielberg for this film, but its been so long it almost has to be a Phantom Menace.  is there any way this could actually be really good?

[MacGuffin]

Sallah Not In "Indiana Jones IV"
Source: Dark Horizons

'deciph3r' had the chance to talk to Johnathan Rhys-Davies at the Armageddon Pulp Expo in Christchurch, New Zealand over the weekend and confirmed his "Indiana Jones IV" non-status:

"Seems he has not been asked to be in Indy 4 or even approached about it.

From the little information he had about the film he had been told through a third party that the character of Salah had been written out of Indy 4 in favour of a younger cast."

[diggler]

^thats a shame, although if the story doesn't go there, it could be awkward writing him in. i thought it was awkward in last crusade, but his character was likeable enough that it didn't really matter to me.

[MacGuffin]

Indiana Jones 4 Script Includes Sean Connery
Source: Reuters

The San Francisco Film Society honored George Lucas on Thursday and the "Star Wars" creator talked to Reuters about starting Indiana Jones 4 and whether Sean Connery would be back:

Lucas said he is ready to begin work as a producer next month on the fourth installment of the Indiana Jones film franchise.

In a brief interview, he said veteran actor Sean Connery had yet to agree to reprise his role as Indiana Jones' father.

"We have a script with him in it," he said. "If he doesn't do it, we'll do a quick rewrite."

The fourth installment is targeted for a May 22, 2008 release.

[MacGuffin]

Part of Chapel St. to become scene of car chase in the 1950s
Source: New Haven Register
 
-NEW HAVEN — Indiana Jones will be racing up Chapel Street next month, a spokesman for director Steven Spielberg confirmed Monday.

The fourth installment of the hugely popular series, arriving in theaters almost 20 years after the third, will include some kind of car chase on Chapel between College and High streets. A pre-production crew was in the city last week and Monday talking to shop owners on the block.

"I really have no details on it at all, except to say that there will be some filming there," said Marvin Levy, a spokesman for Spielberg, who did confirm the film will be the next in the series starring Harrison Ford and Sean Connery, set to open May 22, 2008.

"Indiana Jones" began with a script by George Lucas, whose hits include the "Star Wars" franchise. The collaboration with Spielberg, now a three-time Oscar winner, certified Harrison Ford, the lead in both series, as a superstar.

Levy said the filming dates are not set, but one merchant said she was told it would happen June 28 and 30.

Barbara J. Lamb, director of the city's Office of Cultural Affairs, said the production would close down parts of College and Elm streets and possibly other downtown streets as well.

"We are working with them on a plan to minimize those disruptions on the community," Lamb said. "We will ensure the smoothest flow of both vehicular and pedestrian traffic in downtown New Haven."

"Indiana Jones IV" (a working title) will also feature two new stars, Cate Blanchett and Shia LeBeouf, who is starring in "Disturbia." LeBeouf was 3 years old when the third Indy movie, "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," came out in 1989.

The first three movies featuring Professor Henry "Indiana" Jones Jr., soft-spoken archeologist-turned-swaggering adventurer, were set in the 1930s and were made in the style of cliffhanger serials of that era.

This one will be set in the 1950s, according to several merchants who were approached by crew members. Savitt Jewelers will become a pharmacy, according to owner Mike Rosenthal. And Enson's men's clothing store will become ... Enson's.

"They wanted to make it look more like the 1950s, and I actually showed them pictures of what it looked like in the '50s, since we've been here for 55 years," said owner Jim Civitello.

Next door, Rob Muller of Merwin's Art Shop said he was asked to make his storefront look appropriate to the era. That shouldn't be a problem. "We've got stuff that's probably been here since the '50s," he joked.

Lamb said New Haven was chosen because "they like the look of Yale" and added, "I think a lot of it has to do with the film incentives that are now in place ... and New Haven has been an extremely attractive location for filmmakers."

"We've been working with them for several months now on identifying various locations in the city ... and we expect it to have a major (positive) economic impact in New Haven," Lamb said.

Spielberg received an honorary degree from Yale in 2002, but Lamb said she didn't think that played a role.

The last Hollywood visit to the Elm City was in September, when Uma Thurman filmed a scene for the thriller "In Bloom," planned for release later this year. That also was shot on Chapel Street.

This time, the crew members talking to Chapel Street merchants were coy about the title.

"They told me it was a major motion picture, that we know people in it, but they couldn't divulge that yet," said Civitello.

Other shop owners said the crew talked about compensating them for any business loss. "They just wanted rough numbers, like how much it would cost for a couple of days," said Muller.

"It's a plus for New Haven, probably a negative for the business for a day, but one day does not a year make," said Paul Indorf, co-owner of Peter Indorf Jewelers. "We're not a business that depends on traffic. We're more a destination business."

The Board of Aldermen, which must approve the street closings and other details, will be briefed about the plans at 11 a.m. today, said Alderman Nicholas Shalek, D-1, who represents downtown. But he hadn't heard the names Spielberg, Lucas and Ford in connection with the project.

"The e-mail I got today just said 'a big movie,' " he said. "Generally, I think it's a terrific thing for the city."

Indiana Jones' visit to New Haven may have been foreshadowed at that 2002 Yale commencement. According to the Yale Alumni Magazine, when Spielberg received his honorary degree, the band played John Williams' "Indiana Jones" theme. At the end of the ceremony, it played the theme from "Star Wars."

[MacGuffin]

*READ AT OWN RISK*


Indy 4 Opening Revealed?
The rumor mill starts grinding.

Indiana Jones IV, the fourth and long-overdue film in the legendary action-adventure series, is mere weeks from production, and already scuttlebutt is hitting online.

It must be taken with salt, of course, but the CHUD.com website has a report that claims to shed light on the opening scene of the movie, as well as its supposed premise and shooting locations. If true — and it's mostly speculation at this point — Indy 4 will be based on the "Chariots of the Gods" theory that for thousands of years, extraterrestrials have visited the civilizations of Earth, wowing the primitive natives with their technology and being worshipped as deities. It's certainly a fringe theory, but there's no denying the various ancient statues and cave drawings — particularly in South America — that bear an uncanny resemblance to modern spacemen and UFOs. At any rate, it sounds like a pretty interesting basis for another expedition by Indiana Jones.

The film, the report continues, would open with an action scene pitting Dr. Jones against Soviet agents at the US's secret Area 51 base, long connected with alien and UFO research. Perhaps the government is holding onto some kind of alien-related artifacts or Roswell debris that the Russians are desperate to acquire. Whatever it is, it launches Indy on his last great mission.

In addition to recently-announced New Haven, Los Angeles, New Mexico, and Hawaii are mentioned as possible shooting locales.

Shia LaBeouf's character is described as a jeans and leather-clad biker type, thrown into the adventure with Indy before learning the two are related.

Remember, this is all just rumor for now, however interesting or plausible. We'll let you know more as we learn it.

[Pubrick]

It's certainly a fringe theory, but there's no denying the various ancient statues and cave drawings — particularly in South America — that bear an uncanny resemblance to modern spacemen and UFOs.

this guy's an idiot.

i really hope it's not about that.

[mogwai]

It's certainly a fringe theory, but there's no denying the various ancient statues and cave drawings — particularly in South America — that bear an uncanny resemblance to modern spacemen and UFOs.

this guy's an idiot.

i really hope it's not about that.

sadly, i think it's the story. it's george lucas producing it so it had to be ufo's and shit. just for him to ruin another movie with poorly made cgi and jar jar binks characters.

[edison]

from dlisted.com:
When it was announced that Cate Blanchett would be in Indiana Jones 4, it was expected that she would play his love interest. Cate will instead play a Russian villian in cahoots with the Ruskies. The working title is "Indiana Jones and the City of the Gods."  The film will take place in the 50s. Shooting begins in New Haven, CT very soon.

[MacGuffin]

Hurt Joins Indiana Jones 4, Connery Not Returning
Source: Paramount Pictures

John Hurt has joined the previously-announced Cate Blanchett and Ray Winstone in Indiana Jones 4, while Sean Connery has made it official that he won't be returning. Here's the official press release:

Several stars have thrown their hats into the ring to join Harrison Ford and Shia LeBeouf in Indiana Jones' latest whip-cracking adventure. Next year, when the new Indiana Jones movie opens worldwide on May 22, Indy will share the screen with Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone and John Hurt.

Academy Award® winner Cate Blanchett has established herself as one of the preeminent leading actresses in film today, earning her first Best Actress nomination for her title role in Elizabeth, for which she received a BAFTA and Golden Globe Award. She continued to draw acclaim for significant roles in The Talented Mr. Ripley, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Notes on a Scandal and Babel. In 2005, she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Katherine Hepburn in The Aviator, and this year was named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World. Cate is currently filming The Curious Case of Benjamin Button costarring Brad Pitt and directed by David Fincher.

Known for his layered and nuanced performances of tough guys, Ray Winstone drew international praise for his role as Gal Dove in Jonathan Glazer's Sexy Beast. His recent screen credits include Martin Scorsese's The Departed, Antoine Fuqua's King Arthur, and Anthony Minghella's Breaking & Entering. Winstone's voice can be heard as Mr. Beaver in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Ray will next be seen in the title role of Beowulf opening November 16, 2007 directed by Robert Zemeckis.

Academy Award nominee John Hurt, whose career in film spans more than 40 years, has played memorable roles in movies both big and small. His impressive body of work includes such films as V for Vendetta, Elephant Man, 1984, Midnight Express, Contact, and Alien. On television, he won world-wide acclaim for his role of Caligula in "I, Claudius" and Quentin Crisp, in "The Naked Civil Servant".

While the man with the hat is back, this time he's not bringing his Dad. Sean Connery, who retired from acting in 2005, said:

"I get asked the question so often, I thought it best to make an announcement. I thought long and hard about it and if anything could have pulled me out of retirement it would have been an Indiana Jones film. I love working with Steven and George, and it goes without saying that it is an honor to have Harrison as my son. But in the end, retirement is just too damned much fun. I, do however, have one bit of advice for Junior: Demand that the critters be digital, the cliffs be low, and for goodness sake keep that whip by your side at all times in case you need to escape from the stunt coordinator! This is a remarkable cast, and I can only say, 'Break a leg, everyone.' I'll see you on May 22, 2008 at the theater!"

[Redlum]

Sean Connery-ised.

While the man with the hat is back, this time he's not bringing his Dad. Sean Connery, who retired from acting in 2005, said:

"I get ashked the question sho often, I thought it besht to make an announchement. I thought long and hard about it and if anything could have pulled me out of retirement it would have been an Indiana Jonesh film. I love working with Shteven and George, and it goesh without shaying that it is an honor to have Harrishon as my shon. But in the end, retirement is just too damned much fun. I, do however, have one bit of advice for Junior: Demand that the crittersh be digital, the cliffsh be low, and for goodnessh shake keep that whip by your shide at all times in cashe you need to eshcape from the shtunt coordinator! This is a remarkable cast, and I can only shay, 'Break a leg, everyone.' I'll see you on May 22, 2008 at the theater!"[/i]

...sorry. It helped me.

[grand theft sparrow]

I'm just waiting for the day they announce that Spielberg will need heart surgery and Ratner will be his back-up director.

[MacGuffin]

Broadbent Co-Stars in `Indiana Jones'

Jim Broadbent is joining Indiana Jones on his latest adventure.

The Academy Award-winning actor has joined the cast of the fourth installment in the "Indiana Jones" series, according to an announcement posted Wednesday on Lucasfilm Ltd.'s Indiana Jones Web site.

Production began Monday on the not-yet-titled film, which reunites director Steven Spielberg, executive producer George Lucas and Harrison Ford as the archaeologist-adventurer who made his first appearance in 1981's "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

The movie is due out May 22, 2008.

Broadbent, 57, won a supporting-actor Oscar for 2001's "Iris." He joins previously announced co-stars Cate Blanchett, Shia LaBeouf, John Hurt and Ray Winstone. Broadbent's other films include "Moulin Rouge," "The Crying Game," "Bridget Jones's Diary" and "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe."

Lucasfilm recently announced that Sean Connery who played Indiana Jones' bookish father in the franchise's third installment, 1989's "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" will not reprise the role in the new movie.