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Wasn't this kind of assumed when it was announced last year that they had bought Lucasfilm?

IIRC, the franchise stayed with Paramount under the initial agreement last year.

Hmm, I wonder how old Harrison Ford will have to get before they...find a replacement.

Spielberg insists so long as he controls the franchise it's not going to hand off the part of Indy to someone else.

Considering that Lucas has given up his control in the franchise it'd not be totally implausible for someone else to end up with this eventually but I dunno if it'll be in anything resembling the near future.

(And this very much seems like a its-the-last-possible-opportunity-so-lets-do-it-now situation)

I've always viewed Indiana Jones as a potential James Bond franchise: Ford is great, but I can't believe there aren't already 15 films with various leads

Mr. Plinkett really tore up "Crystal Skull" and made a very good point about Ford's age. Fans like "characters" like Indiana Jones and James Bond because they wish they were those characters. They wish to live vicariously through the adventures of these heroes -- the brawls and the bedroom conquests. The point RLM made is: When the hero is 60 or 70 years old and can barely keep up with the action, no one wants to be that guy and so the whole thing doesn't really work.

Plinkett on "Crystal Skull".

Except he was a main character in the new Star Wars and that wasn't terrible.

I never wanted to be Indy. I do like him as a character and how he charmingly navigates the assorted perils thrown at him, which is where a lot of the appeal lies for many rather than in identification.

Plus I'd like to believe I could still have those adventures when I'm 70 and irrelevant, so I'm ok with it.

swo17 wrote:Except he was a main character in the new Star Wars and that wasn't terrible.

Ford did not have to carry the entire picture, and, much more importantly, Han Solo is not really an action hero who relies on physicality to the same extent as Indiana Jones or James Bond. Can you picture a 70-year-old James Bond? People were howling and complaining about Roger Moore's age when he was in his 50s!

That doesn't make people right though. A very compelling story could be told with these character old and that has been done in the pop arena many times before with old version of Sherlock and Wolverine being some of the most prominent.

I'm not saying it's impossible that Ford and Spielberg can make a great Indy film. For example, "Never Say Never Again" kind of pulled off something similar with Connery, by writing his age and some gags into the film. Still, I think Plinkett's point about Ford's age is worth considering, and could be a major, continued hurdle for the franchise.

aox wrote:I've always viewed Indiana Jones as a potential James Bond franchise: Ford is great, but I can't believe there aren't already 15 films with various leads

There was the young Indy tv show, so we're up to 4 actors thus far.

Indy 5 can be great with the right screenplay. Just don't hire David Koepp again.

I'm sure David Koepp has better things to do, I mean, Mortdecai 2 isn't going to make itself.

I think bring him back on board to write a combined Indiana Jones/Jurassic Park 5.

mfunk9786 wrote:I'm sure David Koepp has better things to do, I mean, Mortdecai 2 isn't going to make itself.

Didn't realise he made that. It's a long time since Stir of Echoes.

Though he did do that Michael Shannon bicycle movie Premium Rush which got some pretty positive notice.

knives wrote:Though he did do that Michael Shannon bicycle movie Premium Rush which got some pretty positive notice.

It was one of the more forgettable movies of recent years, but yes, was actually pretty good. Primarily because Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a really charming screen presence.

Not to make this all about David Koepp, but his writer's commentary track with 'special guest' William Goldman on Panic Room is a great listen, especially the idea brought up that Koepp had apparently initially wanted everything to be set inside the one building with no outside scenes whatsoever to increase the claustrophobic atmosphere of the film. In some ways that seems to be where Koepp appears to be most in his element, with smaller, intense chamber pieces like Stir of Echoes, Secret Window, Apartment Zero or even the time-constrained Premium Rush rather than with more sprawling material.

The script for Indy 4 was really a patchwork of many different ideas which is why, for example, the FBI angle gets introduced and then leads nowhere. Figures it's the one script Lucas gave his blessing to.

I hope Spielberg asks Lawrence Kasdan to pen the new script and that Lucas has the good sense to approve it (the Darabont script Indy and the City of the Gods was apparently quite good but Lucas vetoed it).

Had the same experience like domino with Last Crusade; it really is a tedious film and the people who cherish it so much because of Sean Connery really ought to give it another look.

DarkImbecile wrote:...Aaaand there he is.

Perhaps if Lucas isn't running the show, maybe it still has a chance of being alright?