Marvel Comics began publishing The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones in 1983, and Dark Horse Comics gained the comic book rights to the character in 1991. Novelizations of the films have been published, as well as many novels with original adventures, including a series of German novels by Wolfgang Hohlbein, twelve novels set before the films published by Bantam Books, and a series set during the character's childhood inspired by the television show. Numerous Indiana Jones video games have been released since 1982.
Spielberg and Lucas aimed to make Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom much darker, because of their personal moods following their respective breakups and divorces. Lucas made the film a prequel because he did not want the Nazis to be the villains again. He had ideas regarding the Monkey King and a haunted castle, but eventually created the Sankara Stones, that would be used in the film.[8] He hired Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz to write the script; he knew of their interest in Indian culture.[9] The major scenes that were dropped from Raiders of the Lost Ark were included in this film: an escape using a giant rolling gong as a shield, a fall out of a plane in a raft, and a mine cart chase.[5] For the third film, Spielberg revisited the Monkey King and haunted castle concepts, before Lucas suggested the Holy Grail. Spielberg had previously rejected this as too ethereal, but then devised a father-son story and decided that "The Grail that everybody seeks could be a metaphor for a son seeking reconciliation with a father and a father seeking reconciliation with a son."[10]
Following the 1989 release of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Lucas let the series end as he felt he could not think of a good plot device to drive the next installment and chose instead to produce The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, which explored the character in his early years. Ford played Indiana in one episode, narrating his adventures in 1920 Chicago. When Lucas shot Ford's role in December 1992, he realized that the scene opened up the possibility of a film with an older Indiana set in the 1950s. The film could reflect a science fiction 1950s B-movie, with aliens as the plot device.[11] Ford disliked the new angle, telling Lucas: "No way am I being in a Steven Spielberg movie like that."[12] Spielberg himself, who depicted aliens in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, resisted it. Lucas devised a story, which Jeb Stuart turned into a script from October 1993 to May 1994.[11] Lucas wanted Indiana to get married, which would allow Henry Jones Sr. to return, expressing concern over whether his son is happy with what he has accomplished. After learning that Joseph Stalin was interested in psychic warfare, Lucas decided to have Russians as the villains and the aliens to have psychic powers.[13] Following Stuart's next draft, Lucas hired Last Crusade writer Jeffrey Boam to write the next three versions, the last of which was completed in March 1996. Three months later, Independence Day was released, and Spielberg told Lucas he would not make another alien invasion film (or at least not until War of the Worlds in 2005). Lucas decided to focus on the Star Wars prequels instead.[11]
The iconic bullwhip and hat used by Indiana Jones are important parts of the character development throughout the series.
In 2000, Spielberg's son asked when the next Indiana Jones film would be released, which made him interested in reviving the project.[14] The same year, Ford, Lucas, Spielberg, Frank Marshall, and Kathleen Kennedy met during the American Film Institute's tribute to Ford, and decided they wanted to enjoy the experience of making an Indiana Jones film again. Spielberg also found returning to the series a respite from his many dark films during this period.[15] Spielberg and Lucas discussed the central idea of a B-movie involving aliens, and Lucas suggested using crystal skulls to ground the idea. Lucas found these artifacts as fascinating as the Ark,[16] and had intended to feature them for a Young Indiana Jones episode before the show's cancellation.[11]M. Night Shyamalan was hired to write for an intended 2002 shoot,[14] but he was overwhelmed by the task, and claimed it was difficult to get Ford, Spielberg, and Lucas to focus.[17]Stephen Gaghan and Tom Stoppard were also approached.[14]
Frank Darabont, who wrote various Young Indiana Jones episodes, was hired to write in May 2002.[18] His script, titled Indiana Jones and the City of Gods,[11] was set in the 1950s, with ex-Nazis pursuing Jones.[19] Spielberg conceived the idea because of real-life figures such as Juan Perón in Argentina, who allegedly protected Nazi war criminals.[11] Darabont claimed Spielberg loved the script, but Lucas had issues with it, and decided to take over writing himself.[11] Lucas and Spielberg acknowledged that the 1950s setting could not ignore the Cold War, and the Russians were more plausible villains. Spielberg decided he could not satirize the Nazis after directing Schindler's List,[20] while Ford felt "We plum[b] wore the Nazis out."[12] Darabont's main contribution was reintroducing Marion Ravenwood as Indiana's love interest, but he gave them a 13-year-old daughter, which Spielberg decided was too similar to The Lost World: Jurassic Park.[11]
Jeff Nathanson met with Spielberg and Lucas in August 2004, and turned in the next drafts in October and November 2005, titled The Atomic Ants. David Koepp continued on from there, giving his script the subtitle Destroyer of Worlds,[11] based on the J. Robert Oppenheimer quote. It was changed to Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, as Spielberg found this a more inviting title which actually named the plot device.[21] Koepp wanted to depict the character of Mutt as a nerd, but Lucas refused, explaining he had to resemble Marlon Brando in The Wild One; "he needs to be what Indiana Jones's father thought of [him]– the curse returns in the form of his own son– he's everything a father can't stand".[11] Koepp collaborated with Lawrence Kasdan on the film's "love dialogue".[22]
Development of the fifth film began in 2008, but the project stalled for years.[23][24] In 2012, The Walt Disney Company acquired Lucasfilm, the series' production company, thereby becoming the owner of the Indiana Jones intellectual property.[25] The following year, Walt Disney Studios acquired the distribution and marketing rights to future Indiana Jones films, with Paramount retaining the distribution rights to the first four films and receiving "financial participation" from any additional films.[26][27][28][29] Development on the film continued, eventually forming into Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. The film was directed by James Mangold, who co-wrote the script with Jez and John-Henry Butterworth.[30][31] Spielberg was initially set to direct the film, before passing it to Mangold. Spielberg instead served as an executive producer with Lucas, along with producers Kennedy and Marshall.[32] Ford reprised the title role, along with Karen Allen and John Rhys-Davies and new cast members included Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Kretschmann, Boyd Holbrook, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Toby Jones and Antonio Banderas.[33][34] The film was co-produced by Lucasfilm and Walt Disney Pictures, marking the first film in the series with Disney's involvement.[35] Filming eventually began in the United Kingdom in June 2021[36][37] and wrapped in February 2022.[38] It was Ford's last time playing the title character and is the last film in the franchise overall.[39]Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was released by Disney on June 30, 2023.[40]
The first film is set in 1936. Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is hired by government agents to locate the Ark of the Covenant, the gold plated chest containing the stone tablets Moses used to inscribe the Ten Commandments before the Nazi Germans steal it for themselves. The Nazis have teams searching for religious artifacts, including the Ark, which is rumored to make an army that carries the Ark before it invincible.[41] The Nazis are being helped by Indiana's arch-rival and French archaeologist René Belloq (Paul Freeman). With the help of his former lover and tough bar owner Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) and his excavator friend Sallah (John Rhys-Davies), Indiana manages to recover the Ark in Egypt. The Nazis steal the Ark and capture Indiana and Marion. Belloq and the Nazis perform a ceremony to open the Ark, but when they do so, all they find inside is sand. Suddenly, spirits come out of the Ark and the Nazis are all killed by the Ark's wrath. Indiana and Marion, who survived by closing their eyes, manage to get the Ark to the United States, where it is stored in a secret government warehouse.
The second film is a prequel set in 1935, a year before Raiders of the Lost Ark. Indiana escapes Chinese gangsters led by Lao Che with the help of singer/actress Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw) and his twelve-year-old sidekick Short Round (Ke Huy Quan). The trio crash-land in India, where they come across a Punjabi village whose children have been kidnapped. The Thuggee cult led by Mola Ram (Amrish Puri) has also taken the holy Sankara Stones, which they will use to take over the world. Indiana manages to overcome Mola Ram's evil power, rescues the children and returns the stones to their rightful place, overcoming his own mercenary nature. The film has been noted as an outlier in the franchise, as it does not feature Indy's university or any antagonistic political entity, and is less focused on archaeology, being presented as a dark movie with gross-out elements, human sacrifice and torture.
The third film is set in 1938. Indiana and his friend Marcus Brody (Denholm Elliott) are assigned by American businessman Walter Donovan (Julian Glover) to find the Holy Grail. They are teamed up with Dr. Elsa Schneider (Alison Doody), following on from where Indiana's estranged father Henry (Sean Connery) left off before he disappeared. It transpires that Donovan and Elsa are in league with the Nazis, who captured Henry Jones to get Indiana to help them find the Grail. However, Indiana recovers his father's diary filled with his research, and manages to rescue him before finding the location of the Grail. Both Donovan and Elsa fall to the temptation of the Grail, while Indiana and Henry realize that their relationship with each other is more important than finding the relic.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
The fourth film is set in 1957, nineteen years after The Last Crusade. Indiana is having a quiet life teaching before being thrust into a new adventure. He races against agents of the Soviet Union, led by Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett) for a crystal skull. His journey takes him across Nevada, Connecticut, Peru, and the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. Faced with betrayal by one of his best friends, Mac (Ray Winstone), Indiana is introduced to a greaser named Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf), who turns out to be his son (his real name revealed to be Henry Jones III), and is reunited with, and eventually marries, Marion Ravenwood, who was the lead female character introduced in the first movie.
The fifth and concluding film is set in 1969, twelve years after The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Indiana has moved to New York City, teaching at Hunter College with plans to retire, after his marriage with Marion collapsed following Mutt's death in the Vietnam War. Once his estranged goddaughter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) arrives asking for Archimedes' Dial, a relic Jones and her father Basil (Toby Jones) retrieved from the Nazis in 1944 during the Allied liberation of Europe in World War II. A Nazi-turned-NASA scientist Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen) starts pursuing Jones, wanting to exploit the Dial's unusual properties to change the outcome of World War II. Indiana's journey takes him to Morocco, Greece, and Italy, where he inadvertently ends up traveling back in time to the 212 BC Siege of Syracuse after Voller uses the Dial to locate a time fissure in hopes of assassinating Adolf Hitler prior to the Invasion of Poland to usurp him and lead the Nazis to victory. Upon returning to New York in the present time, Indiana reconciles with Marion.
Countries visited on-screen throughout the events of the films Visited in Raiders of the Lost Ark Visited in Temple of Doom Visited in Last Crusade Visited in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Visited in Dial of Destiny
The show was filmed in over 25 countries for over 150 weeks. Season one was shot from March 1991 to March 1992; the second season began two months later and wrapped in April 1993.[45] The ABC network was unsure of Lucas's cerebral approach, and attempted to advertise the series as an action-adventure like the films. Ratings were good if unspectacular, and ABC was nervous enough to put the show on hiatus after six episodes until September 1992.[42] With only four episodes left of the second season to air, ABC eventually sold the show to the Family Channel, who changed the format from 50-minute episodes to 90-minute TV movies. Filming for the final four episodes took place from January 1994 to May 1996.[45]The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles received a mixed reception from fans, although it won 10 Emmy Awards out of 23 nominations, as well as a 1994 Golden Globe nomination for Best Drama series. It was also an experimentation ground in digital effects for Lucasfilm.[42]
The original broadcast versions of some episodes were briefly released in Japan on laserdisc in 1993 and on VHS in 1994. However, Lucas re-edited and restructured the show for its worldwide home video release. Major structural changes were made, including the complete removal of the 'bookend' sections narrated by the 93-year-old Jones. The editing combined episodes together into creating roughly an hour and a half movies to streamline the series into a more consistent structure. Approximately half of the series was released on VHS in various markets around the world in 1999, but the entire series was not released until its DVD debut, in a series of three boxsets released from 2007 to 2008, to tie in with the theatrical debut of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Among other extras, the DVDs include approximately 100 new historical featurettes.
Proposed Disney+ series
In November 2022, it was reported that Lucasfilm was developing an Indiana Jones series for Disney+. The series was set to be a prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark and would have been the second prequel series following The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.[46] However, by March 2023, Lucasfilm was reported to have canceled the planned prequel series to focus on the Star Wars franchise, this being similarly cited as the reason behind the cancellation of the fellow non-Star Wars Lucasfilm show Willow.[47] On May 11, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy expressed interest in continuing the Indiana Jones franchise through a television series centering on characters aside from Jones, due to Harrison Ford retiring from the role after Dial of Destiny.[48]
A novelization of Raiders of the Lost Ark was written by Campbell Black and published by Ballantine Books in April 1981.[81] It was followed by Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, written by James Kahn and published by Ballantine in May 1984.[82] Finally, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was published in May 1989, and was the first Indiana Jones novel by Rob MacGregor.[83] A fan of the first two films, MacGregor admitted that writing the novelization made him "somewhat disappointed" with the third film, as he had expanded the script whereas Steven Spielberg had cut scenes to tighten the story.[84]
George Lucas asked MacGregor to continue writing original novels for Bantam Books. These were geared toward an adult or young adult audience, and were prequels set in the 1920s or early 1930s after Jones graduates from college. Of the film characters, Lucas only permitted Marcus Brody to appear.[84] He asked MacGregor to base the books on real myths, but except for the deletion of a sex scene, the writer was given total creative freedom. His six books – Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi, Indiana Jones and the Dance of the Giants, Indiana Jones and the Seven Veils, Indiana Jones and the Genesis Deluge, Indiana Jones and the Unicorn's Legacy, and Indiana Jones and the Interior World – were published from February 1991 to November 1992. The Genesis Deluge, published in February 1992 and featuring Noah's Ark, was the bestselling novel; MacGregor felt this was because it "had a strong following among religious-oriented people [...] because they tend to take the Noah's Ark story to heart and think of it as history and archaeological fact, rather than myth." MacGregor's favorite book was The Seven Veils,[84] which featured real-life explorer Percy Fawcett and the death of Indiana's wife, Deirdre Campbell.[85][86][87][88][89][90]
Martin Caidin wrote the next two novels in Bantam's series, Indiana Jones and the Sky Pirates and Indiana Jones and the White Witch. These feature Gale Parker as Indiana's sidekick; they introduced afterwords to the series, regarding each novel's historical context.[91][92]
Caidin became ill, so Max McCoy took over in 1995 and wrote the final four novels: Indiana Jones and the Philosopher's Stone, Indiana Jones and the Dinosaur Eggs, Indiana Jones and the Hollow Earth, and Indiana Jones and the Secret of the Sphinx. McCoy set his books closer in time to the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark, which led to his characterizing Indiana as "a bit darker". The prologue of his first book featured a crystal skull,[93] and this became a recurring story, concluding when Jones gives it up in the final novel. Lucas's involvement with McCoy's novels was limited, although Lucasfilm censored sexual or outlandish elements to make the books appeal to younger readers;[94] they also rejected the theme of time travel in the final book.[93]Sallah, Lao Che, Rene Belloq and the Nazis made appearances, and McCoy also pitted Jones against Benito Mussolini's fascists and the Japanese. Jones also has a doomed romance with Alecia Dunstin, a librarian at the British Museum.[95][96][97][98] A novel involving the Spear of Destiny was dropped, because Dark Horse Comics was developing the idea.[93]
The books were only published in paperback, as the series editor felt readers would not be prepared to pay the hardback price for an adventure novel.[99]
In February 2008, the novelizations of the first three films were published in one edition;[100]James Rollins' Kingdom of the Crystal Skull novelization arrived the following May.[101] Children's novelizations of all four films were published by Scholastic in 2008.[102]
MacGregor was said to be writing new books for Ballantine for early 2009, but none have been published.[103]
A new adult adventure, Indiana Jones and the Army of the Dead by Steve Perry, was released in September 2009.[104]
A novel based on the video game Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings, written by MacGregor to coincide with the release of the game, was canceled due to problems around the game's production.[105]
Additionally, German author Wolfgang Hohlbein wrote eight Indiana Jones novels in the early 1990s, which were never translated to English.
List of novels
All of the following were published by Bantam Books, with the exception of Army of the Dead, which was published by Del Rey.
Indiana Jones und das Schiff der Götter (1990) – (Indiana Jones and the Longship of the Gods)
Indiana Jones und die Gefiederte Schlange (1990) – (Indiana Jones and the Feathered Snake)
Indiana Jones und das Gold von El Dorado (1991) – (Indiana Jones and the Gold of El Dorado)
Indiana Jones und das verschwundene Volk (1991) – (Indiana Jones and the Lost People)
Indiana Jones und das Schwert des Dschingis Khan (1991) – (Indiana Jones and the Sword of Genghis Khan)
Indiana Jones und das Geheimnis der Osterinseln (1992) – (Indiana Jones and the Secret of Easter Island)
Indiana Jones und das Labyrinth des Horus (1993) – (Indiana Jones and the Labyrinth of Horus)
Indiana Jones und das Erbe von Avalon (1994) – (Indiana Jones and the Legacy of Avalon)
Children's novels
Find Your Fate
Ballantine Books published a number of Indiana Jones books in the Find Your Fate line, written by various authors. These books were similar to the Choose Your Own Adventure series, allowing the reader to select from options that change the outcome of the story. Indiana Jones books comprised 11 of the 17 releases in the line, which was initially titled Find Your Fate Adventure.[106]
Indiana Jones and the Curse of Horror Island (June 1984) – R. L. Stine
Indiana Jones and the Lost Treasure of Sheba (June 1984) – Rose Estes
Indiana Jones and the Giants of the Silver Tower (Aug 1984) – R. L. Stine
Indiana Jones and the Eye of the Fates (Aug 1984) – Richard Wenk
Indiana Jones and the Cup of the Vampire (Oct 1984) – Andy Helfer
Indiana Jones and the Legion of Death (Dec 1984) – Richard Wenk
Indiana Jones and the Cult of the Mummy's Crypt (Feb 1985) – R. L. Stine
Indiana Jones and the Dragon of Vengeance (Apr 1985) – Megan Stine and H. William Stine
Indiana Jones and the Gold of Genghis Khan (May 1985) – Ellen Weiss
Indiana Jones and the Ape Slaves of Howling Island (1986) – R. L. Stine
Indiana Jones and the Mask of the Elephant (Feb 1987) – Megan Stine and H. William Stine
Scholastic
In 2008, Scholastic released a series of middle-grade novels based on the stories and screenplays. Each book of this edition included several pages of color stills from filming.
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark – Ryder Windham
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – Suzanne Weyn
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – Ryder Windham
In May 2009, two new middle-grade books were to begin a new series of Untold Adventures, though no further books appeared.[107]
Indiana Jones and the Pyramid of the Sorcerer – Ryder Windham
Indiana Jones and the Mystery of Mount Sinai – J.W. Rinzler
Young Indiana Jones
In the early 1990s, different book series featured childhood and young adult adventures of Indiana Jones in the early decades of the century. Not all were directly tied to the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles TV series.
Random House
The following books are set in Indy's mid- to late-teen years.
Young Indiana Jones and the Plantation Treasure (1990) – by William McCay
Young Indiana Jones and the Tomb of Terror (1990) – by Les Martin
Young Indiana Jones and the Circle of Death (1990) – by William McCay
Young Indiana Jones and the Secret City (1990) – by Les Martin
Young Indiana Jones and the Princess of Peril (1991) – by Les Martin
Young Indiana Jones and the Gypsy Revenge (1991) – by Les Martin
Young Indiana Jones and the Ghostly Riders (1991) – by William McCay
Young Indiana Jones and the Curse of Ruby Cross – by William McCay
Young Indiana Jones and the Titanic Adventure (1993) – by Les Martin
Young Indiana Jones and the Lost Gold of Durango (1993) – by Megan Stine and H. William Stine
Young Indiana Jones and the Face of the Dragon – by William McCay
Young Indiana Jones and the Journey to the Underworld (1994) – by Megan Stine and H. William Stine
Young Indiana Jones and the Mountain of Fire (1994) – by William McCay
Young Indiana Jones and the Pirates' Loot (1994) – by J.N. Fox
Young Indiana Jones and the Eye of the Tiger (1995) – by William McCay
Young Indiana Jones and the Mask of the Madman (unpublished) – by Megan Stine and H. William Stine
Young Indiana Jones and the Ring of Power (unpublished) – Megan Stine
Random House
These books were novelizations of episodes of the TV series. Some feature Indy around age 8; others have him age 16–18.
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: The Mummy's Curse – by Megan Stine and H. William Stine
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Field of Death – by Les Martin
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Safari Sleuth – by A.L. Singer
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: The Secret Peace – by William McCay
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: The Trek of Doom – by Les Martin
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Revolution! – by Gavin Scott
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Race to Danger – by Stephanie Calmenson
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Prisoner of War – by Sam Mclean
Bantam Books
These are labeled Choose Your Own Adventure books. Like the TV series, some feature Indy around age 8, others age 16–18.
Indiana Jones has appeared in numerous comic books, from two different publishers. Marvel Comics initially held the comic book licensing rights, leading to adaptations of the films Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Following the Raiders of the Lost Ark adaptation, Marvel published The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones from 1983 to 1986. This ongoing monthly series ran for thirty-four issues and featured the character's first original adventures in comic book form.
After Marvel's licensing of the character ended, Dark Horse Comics acquired publishing rights and adapted the Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis video game. From 1992 to 1996, following the Fate of Atlantis adaptation, Dark Horse published seven limited series, as well comics based on The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles television series. In 2004, Indiana Jones appeared in the non-canon story, "Into the Great Unknown", first published in Star Wars Tales #19. The story sees Indiana Jones and Short Round discover a crashed Millennium Falcon in the Pacific Northwest, along with Han Solo's skeleton and the realization that a rumored nearby Sasquatch is in fact Chewbacca. With the franchise's revival in 2008, Dark Horse published an adaptation of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Dark Horse followed this with Indiana Jones Adventures, a short-lived series of digest-sized comics aimed at children. An additional limited series, titled Indiana Jones and the Tomb of the Gods, was also published from 2008 to 2009.
Video games
Since the release of the original film, there have been a number of video games based on the Indiana Jones series. These include both games based on (or derived from) the films, as well as those featuring the characters in new storylines.
Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues (2009, LucasArts) – A sequel to the original Lego Indiana Jones game featuring new levels based on the first three films as well as Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
The world-building video game Disney Magic Kingdoms includes some characters from the Indiana Jones films as playable characters, in addition to attractions based on the franchise.[119]
Theme park attractions
Action on the set of the "Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!"
Prior to Disney's acquisition, George Lucas collaborated with Walt Disney Imagineering on several occasions to create Indiana Jones attractions for Disney Experiences worldwide. Indiana Jones-themed attractions and appearances at Disney theme parks include:
From 1989 until its closure in 2017, The Great Movie Ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios featured a scene based on Raiders of the Lost Ark.
At the 2024 D23 expo on August 10, 2024, it was announced that a full Indiana Jones attraction is to be built at Disney's Animal Kingdom, with an opening date of 2027. It will form part of a new 'Tropical Americas' land, which could be replacing Dinoland USA.
For the holiday season following the June 1981 debut of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Kenner produced a 12-inch-tall "Authentically styled Action Figure" of Indiana Jones. The next spring they delivered nine smaller-scale (33⁄4") action figures, three playsets, replicas of the German desert convoy truck and Jones's horse, all derived from the Raiders movie.[122] They also offered a Raidersboard game.[123]
In conjunction with the theatrical release of The Temple of Doom in 1984, TSR, Inc. released miniature metal versions of twelve characters from both films for a role playing game. LJN Toys Ltd. also released action figures of Jones, Mola Ram, and the Giant Thugee.
No toys were produced to tie in with The Last Crusade in 1989.
Hasbro released toys based on Raiders of the Lost Ark and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in 2008. Further figures, including characters from The Temple of Doom and The Last Crusade, followed later in the year,[124] but were distributed on a very limited basis. This line of toys included 33⁄4-inch and 12-inch figures, vehicles, a playset, and a series of "Adventure Heroes" aimed at young children.[125] Hasbro announced the cancellation of the line in the fall of 2008, due to decreasing sales, although some figures continued to be released up until the 2011 San Diego Comic Convention.
Hasbro also made the "Adventure Series" line in 2023 to go alongside the release of Dial of Destiny. This line included figures from the original trilogy as well as the new film.
A pinball machine based on the first three films was released in 1993. Stern Pinball released a new pinball machine based on the series in 2008, which featured all four movies.[138]
↑ Paramount Pictures retains distribution rights to the first four films in the franchise.
↑ As part of the 2013 deal transferring the distribution rights of future Indiana Jones films from Paramount Pictures to the Walt Disney Studios, Paramount retained a residual associate credit ("in association with Paramount Pictures") in the film's credits and promotional materials.[27][26]
↑ While Disney officially reported spending $294.7 million producing the film,[64] other figures including $295 million[65] or "$300 million+"[66] have been reported.
Related Research Articles
Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones Jr. is the title character and protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise. George Lucas created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials. The character first appeared in the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark, to be followed by Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1984, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in 1989, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles from 1992 to 1996, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in 2008, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny in 2023. The character is also featured in novels, comics, video games, and other media. Jones is also the inspiration for several Disney theme park attractions, including Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, the Indiana Jones Adventure, and Epic Stunt Spectacular! attractions.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is a 1989 American action adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by Jeffrey Boam, based on a story by George Lucas and Menno Meyjes. It is the third installment in the Indiana Jones film series and the sequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Harrison Ford returned in the title role, while his father is portrayed by Sean Connery. Other cast members featured include Alison Doody, Denholm Elliott, Julian Glover, River Phoenix, and John Rhys-Davies. In the film, set in 1938, Indiana Jones searches for his father, a Holy Grail scholar, who has been kidnapped and held hostage by the Nazis while on a journey to find the Holy Grail.
Raiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. Set in 1936, the film stars Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, a globetrotting archaeologist vying with Nazi German forces to recover the long-lost Ark of the Covenant which is said to make an army invincible. Teaming up with his tough former romantic interest Marion Ravenwood, Jones races to stop rival archaeologist René Belloq from guiding the Nazis to the Ark and its power.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a 1984 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg from a script by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, based on a story by George Lucas. It is the second installment in the Indiana Jones film series and a prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark. The film features Harrison Ford, who reprises his role as the title character. Kate Capshaw, Amrish Puri, Roshan Seth, Philip Stone, and Ke Huy Quan, in his film debut, star in supporting roles. In the film, after arriving in British India, Indiana Jones is asked by desperate villagers to find a mystical stone and rescue their children from a Thuggee cult practicing child slavery, black magic, and ritual human sacrifice in honor of the goddess Kali.
Kathleen Kennedy is an American film producer who has been president of Lucasfilm since 2012.
Indiana Jones Adventure is an enhanced motion vehicle dark ride attraction based on the Indiana Jones film series, located at Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. Guests accompany intrepid archaeologist Dr. Indiana Jones on a turbulent quest, aboard military troop transport vehicles, through a dangerous subterranean lost temple guarded by a supernatural power.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a 2008 American action adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by David Koepp, based on a story by George Lucas and Jeff Nathanson. It is the fourth installment in the Indiana Jones film series and a sequel to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). Set in 1957, it pits Indiana Jones against Soviet KGB agents led by Irina Spalko searching for a telepathic crystal skull located in Peru. Jones is aided by his former lover, Marion Ravenwood, and their son, Mutt Williams. Ray Winstone, John Hurt, and Jim Broadbent are also part of the supporting cast.
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 4, 1992, to July 24, 1993. Filming took place in various locations around the world, with "Old Indy" bookend segments filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina and on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. The series was a Lucasfilm production in association with Amblin Entertainment and Paramount Television.
Marion Ravenwood is a fictional character who first appeared in the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark. Played by Karen Allen, she enters the story when Indiana Jones visits her in Nepal, needing her help to locate the Ark of the Covenant with a possession originally obtained by her father, Dr. Abner Ravenwood. After 27 years of absence, the character returned in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023), portrayed by Allen.
Professor Henry Walton Jones Sr. is a fictional character in the Indiana Jones franchise. He is the Scottish father of Indiana Jones and is a professor of medieval studies at Princeton University. Alongside his academic teachings, Jones Sr. is an author of many books and a professional speaker on his historical subject at many conferences throughout the world. His relationship to his son in the franchise is noted as indifferent due to conflicts on their approaches to their situations, despite the fondness they share for history and archaeology. Much of his life was dedicated to research into the Holy Grail of Christian legend.
Sallah Mohammed Faisel el-Kahir is a fictional character played by Welsh actor John Rhys-Davies in three of the Indiana Jones films: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. He also appears in various comics and novels, and is featured in the Disney theme park attractions, the Indiana Jones Adventure and The Great Movie Ride.
The Indiana Jones franchise has appeared in many comic books. Marvel Comics initially held the comic book licensing rights before they were acquired by Dark Horse Comics in 1990. Marvel published adaptations of the films Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, while Dark Horse adapted the Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis video game, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles television series, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Lego Indiana Jones is a Lego theme based on the Indiana Jones film franchise created by George Lucas, licensed from Lucasfilm. The exclusive franchise was first announced in June 2007, and followed the successful Lego Star Wars franchise, also with Lucasfilm. The first set of products were launched in 2008, based upon two of the three earlier films. Sets featuring scenes from the fourth film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, were released alongside the film, later in 2008. The Temple of Doom film was not featured until 2009, in a large set which re-created the mine-cart chase using new narrow-gauge Lego train track.
Indiana Jones is an American media franchise.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the film score to the 1984 Steven Spielberg film, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. The music was composed and conducted by John Williams and performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony, with orchestrations provided by Herbert W. Spencer and Alexander Courage and first released on CD, LP, and cassette in 1984 and reissued on CD in 2008.
Since its debut in 1981, the Indiana Jones franchise has become part of American popular culture. References have been made in television series, movies, music and other material since the original film was released.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is a 2023 American action adventure film directed by James Mangold, who co-wrote it with David Koepp and the writing team of Jez and John-Henry Butterworth. It is the fifth and final installment in the Indiana Jones film series and the sequel to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008). It stars Harrison Ford, John Rhys-Davies, and Karen Allen reprising their roles as Indiana Jones, Sallah, and Marion Ravenwood, respectively, while new cast members include Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Ethann Isidore, and Mads Mikkelsen. Set in 1969, the film follows Jones and his estranged goddaughter, Helena, who are trying to locate a powerful artifact before Dr. Jürgen Voller, a Nazi-turned-NASA scientist, who plans to use it to alter the outcome of World War II.
↑ Rinzler, Bouzereau, Chapter 12: "Mr. Jones's Wild Ride: June to December 2007", p. 254–295
↑ Peter N. Chumo II (May–June 2008). "Matinee Magic: David Koepp and Indiana Jones Enter the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". Creative Screenwriting. 15 (3).
↑ Reid, Caroline (February 8, 2023). "Disney's $300 Million Bet To Tempt Back Cinemagoers". Forbes. Archived from the original on July 4, 2023. Retrieved July 16, 2023. Ahead of its first quarter earnings release today, Disney has revealed that it has shelled out $294.7 million (£244.1 million) on making the latest instalment in the Indiana Jones series in a bid to tempt movie fans back to cinemas this year.
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