Why did it take almost 20 years for the fourth Indiana Jones movie to be released ? Despite, the 5th is expected in theaters in 2020.
It took almost two decades for Indiana Jones to return to service. Missing the big screen since Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in 1989, the fourth installment of his adventures has been pushed back time and again since his announcement in 1994, due to the overcrowded schedules of Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Harrison Ford. The script had to be reworked many times by Jeb Stuart, Jeffrey Boam, Night Shyamalan, Stephen Gaghan, Tom Stoppard, Frank Darabont, Jeff Nathanson and finally David Koepp.
During a press conference George Lucas gave this following answer :
“I almost came to the conclusion that it was so hard to find something to motivate everyone that I said,” We’ll never get another movie done! “But one day I went see Harrison and Steven and I told them I had a great idea: Indiana Jones and the Flying Saucers Attack. While the first three films were made in the spirit of the 1930s serials, I explained that it would be in the style of 1950s B-series science fiction movies. We had a scenario that contained some very good scenes, but as we still had to rework, we hired another screenwriter. I thought we had a pretty good story, but Harrison said he did not want to play in a flying saucer movie. “
Director Steven Spielberg explains: “Our partnership [with George] is based on one principle: we must both agree. There had already been a script that he liked, but that I did not like and that, therefore, was not shot. Fortunately, I had the idea to ask David Koepp, who had already done for me a sensational work on Jurassic Park and The War of the Worlds, to start on a new story. He knew how to agree. “
While some rumors announced a quest around Atlantis or the Garden of Eden, the revelation of the official title of the film, Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull Kingdom on Monday, September 10, 2007, has definitely validated the direction of this new opus towards science fiction. Thus, as they had been able to do in the first three episodes-homages to the serials of the 1930s, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg wished to direct this fourth cinematic adventure towards homage to the sci-fi bands of the 1950s.
Indiana Jones has aged, and the history of the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull taking place during the 1950s, it was necessary to evolve his enemies. The story takes place during the Cold War, so it is the Red Army, led by Irina Spalko alias Cate Blanchett, a fan of the saga, that the hero faces. According to Steven Spielberg, this is his favorite villain character among all those who crossed the road to Indiana. Cate Blanchett says, “Spalko is a steel woman that nothing affects, a kind of precision mechanics that nothing stops. Never a hair crooked, not the slightest trace of mud on his boots after wading for hours in the slush. A lethal weapon … “
On Friday, December 28, 2006, George Lucas said he had validated the scenario of this fourth album with Steven Spielberg. The creator of Star Wars says, “It’s going to be fantastic, really nice. It’s going to be the best part of the saga. The producer also said that the feature film would be centered on “the characters” and that it would bring to light “very interesting mysteries”.
Indiana Jones could be returning to theaters in 2020
Renowned scriptwriter and director David Koepp, who worked on the script for a new “Indiana Jones” movie, confirmed that Harrison Ford will be back to don the fedora hat again. Meanwhile, Shia LaBeouf’s character Mutt Williams will not be appearing in the new film.
At the end of “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, it was teased that LaBeouf’s character, also known as Indy’s son Henry Jones III, would inherit Indy’s iconic fedora. However, Koepp’s confirmation of LaBeouf’s absence in the new movie is like Indy snatching the hat back from his would-be successor.
For now, Koepp stated that Spielberg is generally satisfied with the current script, and production could begin after the director has taken time off from finishing the upcoming movie “The Post”.
“We’re plugging away at it. In terms of when we would start, I think that’s up to Mr. Spielberg and Mr. Ford,” he said.
As per report, if the schedules go as planned, the new “Indiana Jones” movie can be expected to premiere in theaters before the end of 2020.
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