The fourth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise may be the very definition of “developmental hell”. When George Lucas and Steven Spielberg penned their initial deal with Paramount Pictures in the late 1970’s they signed an agreement that would include five films, but after Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in 1989 they considered the series complete and put it to bed. This retirement held for a handful of years, but as ideas began to evolve into stories, and fan demand grew, it seemed that a new Indiana Jones film may indeed be possible.

Lucas and Jeb Stuart first came up with a script in the early 1990’s dealing with Russians and aliens. Lucas then hired Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade screenwriter Jeffery Boam to touch it up, but when Independence Day was released in 1996 the creative team put the “alien invasion” idea on the back burner. It was also around this time that Lucas decided to focus his attention on the Star Wars prequel trilogy, which would entirely consume the next decade of his professional life.

Interest in another Indiana Jones film was rekindled in 2000 when the creative team met for the American Film Institute’s tribute to Harrison Ford. Over the next few years they would employ the services of a small army of screenwriters including notable talents like Tom Stoppard, Stephen Gaghan, M. Night Shyamalan, Lawrence Kasdan, and Frank Darabont. But it was Jeff Nathanson and David Koepp that would finally satiate the collective vision and earn themselves a screen credit.

Sticking with the alien concept, and using the mysterious Crystal Skulls of ancient Latin America as a catalyst, Spielberg and Lucas would draw inspiration for their new Indiana Jones installment from the science fiction films of the 1950’s. They would then frolic throughout the decade by dabbling in Technicolor, the Cold War, McCarthyism, television, hot rods, early Atomic Era, and rock and roll. Even with new period themes in place, Spielberg and Lucas would not stray too far from the established formula. Despite the change of scenery, they would still make every effort to shoot the film with a look, feel, and style that would be familiar to the world of Indiana Jones.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18th, 2008. Four days later it received a massive worldwide release, and despite fairly negative fan reaction, went on to make nearly unprecedented amounts of money. It became the highest grossing Indiana Jones film, the second highest grossing film of 2008, and eventually found a spot among the highest grossing films of all time.

Scott and Matt of the Gods of Filmmaking

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