I think people are still skeptical on whether or not Indiana Jones IV is indeed set to begin filming in 2007 for a 2008 release and I am not sure if this new bit of information out of The Hollywood Reporter will hurt or help those doubts.
The trade tells us that “after years spent in script development, a fourth installment of the famously successful franchise is set to begin production in June in locations around the world and in the U.S.” As far as Indiana Jones fans should be concerned it seems George Lucas, star Harrison Ford and director Steven Spielberg were not going to move forward until all were satisfied, which hopefully means they weren’t going to make it unless it worked.
However, I have another idea on why they may have waited until now. That reason would be a film called Rocky Balboa in which Sylvester Stallone is 60-years-old and that movie has done relatively well at the box-office and did well with critics. With Indy we have Harrison Ford as he will turn 65 during the shoot if it does indeed begin in June. I think they were waiting to see if audiences would believe a man of that age could still do the things the film is portraying. Stallone proved it can be done, we will have to wait and see if Ford can do the same.
Spielberg did tell THR, “George, Harrison and I are all very excited… We feel that the script was well worth the wait. We hope it delivers everything you’d expect from our history with Indiana Jones.”
Speaking of the script it looks like David Koepp is the man getting the honors as screenwriter after an earlier screenplay by Frank Darabont had been shelved when Lucas turned thumbs down on it.
Apparently they are still looking to bring Connery back as Indy’s father, but there is no word on whether or not the 75-year-old actor is up for the part. Especially since we haven’t seen him in a film since The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen in 2003.
Indiana Jones IV is expected to be released some time in 2008.
