Buddy of mine and I were chatting last week when Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was brought up. We both liked it despite its many flaws and what not. Then, he quips, “Yeah, they’ll definitely do another one…”
That remark threw me back a bit. “Really? You think?” I replied. He went on to say that “it’s all about money, Jamie!” Well…he’s not wrong.
Indy IV has made well over $215 million domestically and just under $500 million worldwide in its first two weeks in theatres.
When everything’s said and done, whether you loved or hated it, the film stands to earn around $600-$700 million worldwide give or take.
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The question is, “Do people want to see more Indy?”
You can’t answer that solely on box-office because frankly there are films that audiences hated that were nonetheless box-office blockbusters (i.e. Spider-Man 3, The Da Vinci Code, The Matrix sequels, etc.)
I can tell you from my own personal experience seeing Indy IV on its opening Thursday night screening. All I heard from people as I left the theatre was how much they enjoyed the film and “would totally see it again.”
Of course a few weeks back, George Lucas was already talking about the possibility of another installment saying:
“I haven’t even told Steven [Spielberg] or Harrison this but I have an idea to make Shia LaBeouf [who plays Mutt] the lead character next time and have Harrison come back like Sean Connery did in the last movie [Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade]. I can see it working out.”
I was under the impression that this was going to be Indy’s last hurrah on the silver screen. I mean Spielberg, Lucas and Ford have said multiple times they were doing Crystal Skull for the fans and not the money.
Wouldn’t audiences feel jerked around to suddenly see Mutt Williams (aka Henry Jones III aka Spielberg’s golden boy Shia LaBeouf) wearing the fedora and leather jacket instead of Indy again? I know I would. No offense, Shia.
So, what do you guys think? Will we see an Indiana Jones 5, a Mutt spin-off film or will Spielberg and Lucas leave the character alone?
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34 Comments
Yeah…even though i’m not a huge indy fan, I would take offense to Shia donning indy’s gear.
The character is iconic and, as good an actor as shia is, he will never FEEL like indy. However hard the producers try.
Personally, I dont know where they could go with the next film. With Shia as the lead, could you even call it Indiana Jones…
Maybe, just maybe…a spinoff??
If Lucas planned on a spinoff, couldn’t he have pushed for a better name than ‘Mutt’? I mean, C’MON!
I still haven’t seen Crystal Skull yet
ya,
I heard this just prior to the release. They’re definately make another and soon to have Harrison pass the torch to Shia, the next big thing.
Althought the name mutt kinda ruins it all
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!! SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!
Panda, that means you. :o)
You can tell from the ending of Crystal that Ford hasn’t passed the torch yet; his fedora blows to Shia but Ford takes it from him and puts it on. To me, they are saying, “Not yet”.
well they did name indiana after the Dog .
I think they intend to do another.
but the shortest distance between these movies was i think,
4 years for temple of doom.
between the search for a story and the scheduling difficulties for Lucas, Ford, Spielberg and even Lebouf it could be awhile.
and for those thinking Ford has a small window of oportunity because of his age ,
He is younger then you think.
recently there were untrue rumors about Clint play Dirty Harry again.
He is 77.
but remember how excited everybody here got?
and does anybody think if Clint said he wanted to do it again that warners would say NO?
so, there is still plenty of time for Ford
and while he wont be able to do stunts quite the way he used to he can play the Connery role by leboufs side
So, its not a question of if just WHEN!
Although I enjoyed Skull well enough, I personally don’t want to see any more Indy films. If Skull was the best Lucas and Spielberg could come up with after all this time, they will have an even lamer product with a shorter production schedule. That said, I do think there will be another Indy film because of the huge box office.
It’s been two weeks now since having seen the movie, and it’s already been the least memorable installment thus far, also the most “average” of them as well. On the whole, I did enjoy it, but it’s a big step down from previous installments.
That said, I think Shia could handle a spinoff series of his own. He showed the chops necessary for the genre and being able to carve out a singularly distinctive character of his own separate from Ford (who would act as mentor ala Connery for at least the next installment if it happens).
There are some caveats, of course. The first, second and third are as follows: Remove George from the typewriter, remove george from the screenplay, remove George from creative development except only in the most broad decisions (like the film’s catering and maybe, just maybe providing the general direction for the story). I could hear his dialog stick out like a sore thumb in the last one, and it was usually painful.
Other than that, hire a better cinematographer that can work in the genre like “Raiders” Douglas Sloccombe could.
Do those things, and then we’ll talk about me forking over more money to see what’s new in the Indiana Jones universe.
without Lucas there would not only be no Indy
but no Spielberg to direct his adventures.
And Spielberg wont do another sequel without Lucas involved ,
And Spielberg cant say to him”George you created this character but you cant have any involvement with the storyline of the next installment.”
They should do one but RIGHT AWAY though. I mean, come on. Yeah, I wouldn’t mind it at all. Indy could play up the Sr. role even more. I could care less about a spinoff or them naming it anything other than Indy. I’d like to see Indy in a different environment though other than a desert or a jungle, it may sound crazy but I’m just saying.
I think Indy is a character that could go on for ten more movies. Obviosly Ford wouldn’t be able to do it very much longer, the man is 65 years old, but the introduction of Mutt sets the story up for a hundred possibilities. On another note can anyone tell me what happened to Short Round after Temple Of Doom? He just dissapeared
Gary,
At some point, Lucas needs to either re-sharpen his writing skills, or be humble enough to let someone whose skills are still sharp to take on that role.
The first two films didn’t rely on Lucas except for writing the story (not the lines for individual parts or screenplay) and being the producer. His two best films *period* (Empire Strikes Back, and Raiders) had screenplayse that were both penned by Lawrence Kasdan. Coincidence? Perhaps, but I’m leaning against it, especially after the prequels.
I may have overstated my case against Lucas a little bit, but he should ideally realize the limits to which his skills can be applied, and they do not extend to writing screenplays. He should focus on story & production.
My vote would be to bring Kasdan back for any future endeavors.
I would love to see another Indy film with Harrison as the main character! Hopefully they will get another one done within the next two or three years. I would say I am overall against Shia as the main character in a spinoff though… I agree with the author of the article that it would make it seem a lot more for the money if Shia carried on with the series. But with Harrison back, I’d totally be game for it! Maybe give Lucas a little less authority on the project though… hehehe…
Jersey,
saying lucas should concentrate on the films catering is overstating it just a bit?
George Lucas created two of the greatest franchises in film history .
And he will probably have major contributions to future endeavors involving both franchises for the rest of his life .
And despite our instincts,
There is no way we can know what lines or bits were contributed by Lucas
I read an article in Creative Screenwriting
Where David Koepp said he contacted Kasdan
Because he needed a line for a crucial exchange btween Indy and Marion
Koepp said it was the best line in the movie.
And the title will be: Indiana Jones In The Temple Of Doomed Movie Franchises!
I’d rather would like to see a Chad Vader movie…
“You’re doomed! Doooomed!”
ZAR.
So why not go back two years, maybe a 1955 storyline, prior to the events in “Skull”? Indy is still obviously out there, doing the archeologist thing. Remember, he got kidnapped from a dig site in “Skull”, leading up to he and mac getting pulled out of the trunk by the Russians, so it’s not like he’s been dormant the last few years. I think give him one more solo adventure…
I like the idea of Indy having an adventure
during the 60s
As long as its better then the 4th
Gary,
I already retracted my hyperbole. George was best as an idea man. To the extent he has limited himself to that role, and found the right supporting cast and crew to bring it about, his films have been successful.
In my review of the film (Indy IV) posted on this site a while back under a different column pointed out my frustration was that the script was decidedly uneven, meaning there were both gems and rocks mixed in with each other, so I’m not surprised if there was some help from Kasdan, it’s just a shame he wasn’t involved more. If anyone knew the character front to back, left to right and three times on Sunday, he’s the guy you want. He wrote the character to be as cool as he ended up being in Raiders, establishing, alongside Harrison Ford’s excellent performance (that part at least was consistently maintained) an iconic role for the ages.
Lucas started these franchises, and there’s no denying that, but his successes, where they have occurred, have largely occurred on the shoulders of seemingly more skilled artists than he himself seems to be. Whether it’s the level of performance given by the actors (Star Wars) being able to lift itself above the corny dialog (which must be admitted), or the screenwriters and directors he’s occasionally hired to helm his ideas (Spielberg, Kasdan, Kershner, etc.) When left to his own devices and without that caliber of artist supporting him, he has mostly floundered. Jar Jar Binks was all Lucas, as was having Haden Christensen flatly deliver analogies contrasting sand to skin in Episode II.
Episode III worked a little better, but I believe that has more to do with the dramatic setup we’d all been waiting for, the final showdown between Anakin and Obi-Wan.
I don’t begrudge the man for having had the original concepts and germs of ideas that grew into those franchises, but I cannot say the man has any skill in fashioning and executing character moments and dialog or directing actors on the set. When he runs solo on these fronts, for all the potential greatness in the idea, the execution has fallen flatter than pancakes.
Lastly, Lucas once said that he looked forward to life after Star Wars (when shooting the prequels) because he had so many other ideas he wanted to explore. But then he chose to fall back on the only other successful movie franchise he helped start as his next project. The guy has enough money to finance practically any film he so desires, and that’s what he runs to? Where’s the idea man of years ago?
come one guys indy 4 was not very bad they only bad is the cgi too much and overuse and why the hell they did the cgi monkeys it was too unnecessary
Indy 4 was a disapointment for me, they brought in Marion too “Just like that” for my taste, the cgi was in way, the aztek’s popping out of the walls was random and never explained, and he hardly used his whip! HE’S INDIANA FLIPPING JONES, USE THE DARN WHIP MORE THEN THRICE!!!
Basicly felt like Mummy meets ET
I do have to admit, the whip scene where Indy falls short of Spalko’s Jeep was pretty good, but seeing it in the trailers took away it’s impact.
Still, I do think that the whole notion of passing the torch to Shia is a pretty weak idea, though I do see the point of trying to bring the adventure film genre to a new generation of fans.
All in all, I still think that if we want another Indy adventure, they should go back a few years and spotlight another of Indy’s solo quests. Need to do it fast, though, or we’ll be watching “Indiana Jones and the Quest for Loose Change in the Sofa of the Retirement Home”
Come to think of it, THAT might look pretty cool in IMAX, as long as they don’t try to add Abe Vigoda as one of Indy’s rest home pals.
Actually, T’Challa, he never even used his gun.
For me, the *p-chow, p-chow* sound effect from the original was every bit as iconic as the whip crack, and sorely missed here.
There were some nice moments and touches, but they seem like just that now: moments. The Aztecs randomly appearing out of nowhere and without explanation threw me too.
Thats another thing Jerseycajun, good point.
And I really have to complement the manufacturer of that fridge, I mean that must be some shock absorbtion lead plating.
come on Lucas wont give Harrison ford up, atleast not yet.
He’s a gold mine, he has to many fans.
And of course their gonna make another one, its just not enough, it dosen’t feel right yet.
especially from how the 4th one ended.
After all guys it is called “INDIANA JONES”
For me, it’s Indy himself or nobody. For me, Shia Lebouf just doesn’t fit the “Indy” mold. I think Zachary Quinto has the right look and attitude for the part, but he was busy with Star Trek. Besides, since I’m not a highly paid professional, my opinion probably doesn’t matter anyway.
Still the same, I absolutely do want to see an Indy 5. I’d love to see more adventures in writing, too. I know it may not be with Ford, but who knows? Someday, it’d be great to see Indy on the small screen — a tv series and not something stupid like that Young Indiana Jones bit that failed to meet the mark for the audience.
The 4th film wasn’t bad until the last 20 minutes. It wasn’t bad as much as it came as a “so what” feel with it. If I were to make a 5th installment I would have Indi back doing what he always did — the impossible. So why not have this guy that’s pushing 70 just kicking butt and spoiling the bad guys plans. That’s sort of what the 4th one missed. He wasn’t a thorn in the side for a major “bad guy.”
Have a line in the 5th film where the bad guy is talking to his second in command, “Tell me again why you can’t stop this senior citizen? He came in and did what? I’m supposed to believe Jones did all that?”
Corny but could be a lot of fun if they played up the fact that Indy has gotten older. Heck, if Indy can sky dive out of a plane in a rubber raft and safely land on a mountain side then his getting older will be of no problem.
Could be a lot of fun. Just make sure to keep Jones fighting with the bad people ruining their perfect plans for whatever it is they want to do.
come on guys what the hell is wrong with indy 4.i grew up watching these films and they are pure escapeism there is no one in the world that can take over the mantle of this iconic charcter and i for one would pay good money to see ford reprise his roll one last time .its not true life its a movie something to make you feel good about yourself and nostalga god the old days were better every ones a critic
Hey Bill,
Thanks for popping by.
Keep in mind that just as you are entitled to your opinion, so is everyone else.
Best,
Vic
cheers vic point taken on board
Indy 4 has made over 500 million worldwide and deserves it because of the first 3. I doubt it would have done as well if the other 3 never existed.
Something happened with Speilburg in the late 80’s that he forgot how to have fun. His movies aren’t bad and some of his best work came out of the past 15 or so years, but they have all been really dark (which is fine because I love dark movies—don’t get me wrong) I’m simply saying it seems he doesn’t know how to have fun anymore—not the way he used to. I guess it called growing up. People change and their views change. I get all that.
But getting something and wanting something are little like trying to be at two different places at the same time.
These are the films I want to have fun with. The ones that have lines like “Do you have anything besides Mexican food?” from the Three Amigos.
or “”Why don’t you make like a tree…and get outta here!” from Back to the Future.
To be honest, maybe none of us knows how to have fun anymore. I think movies that were pure pop-corn fun ended with Indy 3.
The last three “Star Wars” films weren’t much fun. They were good. Probably even “better” films than the first three, but they just didn’t have what swashbuckling zest of those unabashed blockbuster movies of the ’70s and 80s had.
The word might be “Pizazz.” I don’t know. I don’t know honestly what the word would be. But its definition is something that captures why a 10 year old kid would spend all Saturday morning gathering soda cans to turn in for the buck fifty matinée ticket.
Perhaps I’m getting old and then just ignore what I have to say, but I haven’t walked out of a film feeling more alive, more like I just had the “greatest time.” At least not sense “Die Hard” perhaps “Terminator 2″ Those moves were pure shove the popcorn in you mouth and forget to breath kind of fun. You know?
I think if you’re old enough to remember what it was like to walk out of Ghostbusters and wanting nothing more than to turn right around and watch it again, you might know what I talking about here.
Indy 4 didn’t do that for me.
As far as master film making goes, shot for shot, camera movement for camera movement, etc. etc. this film is by far the best one. I just wish the story had been as good.
Like a man being kissed by his wife of sixty years, we enjoy the old films, we watch them over and over again. But it’s not like the first time. The first kiss.
if Indy 5 is to be made (and i’m assuming they’ll make indy 6 just to make it an even 3- and probably have mutt become mutt-i-ana jones with the jacket and hat) my one request is this. have Indy do one more film without any younger man helping him out. indy can never be the sidekick. no matter how old he gets. Why not set the next film in 1956- maybe the main story could be set in the exotic tibet. have him battle out chinese communists and save a local tibetan object. maybe give jones the line “communists- I hate these guys”. I don’t know. By having it set a year before the events of the crystal skull, it also gives indy the chance to have another meaningless heartless romance. have some fun. Heck- why not get indy to start his adventure in Scotland or Scandanvia then have the main adventure take in place africa or Haiti. Bring some fresh locations. I understand harrison cant do all the stunts that he could in the 80s’. fine. no problems. but at least give him one last adventure that includes a more archeologoical, traditional sort of object to chase (no aliens related storyline please. no elvis hounddog soundtrack, either. thanks guys.) Mutt can the sixth adventure. but give Ford one last traditional indy film. please for all our sakes. anyone agree?
As much as the idea of a sequal thrills me, I agree that Mutt can’t take the torch from Indy right away. Maybe after one or two more films with Harrison as the star role. Maybe. Even then, it’d be a tough transission. As of now, there’s a lot of things they could do with Indy as the principle role and Mutt as the sidekick. If they’re going to have Mutt take over, then at least have a movie to slowly ease him into that role.
I loved the new movie and really would like to see another one and I think Shia would be fine as the lead role
Indiana Jones 5?? ABSOLUTELY!!! I mean, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was down right AMAZING (that is my opinion,i know everyone else has different views than mine)…i’d love to see another Indiana Jones movie. I mean, Indiana Jones is the best. I really hope they make another one. And if they do…i know ill be as excited for it as I was for Indy 4.
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