Why We Can't Wait to See It: Well, it's Indy. That alone is pretty much all you have to say, isn't it? Harrison Ford is back as Dr. Jones, and while some of the folks around for the ride are new (Cate Blanchett, Shia LeBouf and others), the return of Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood is reason enough for old-school fans to be excited.

Why It Might Do Well: Again, it's Indy -- and a long-anticipated return to the big screen for one of the most beloved movie franchises of modern times. Plus, the only big opener the week before is Prince Caspian -- which, while anticipated, probably won't pull people from the ticket lines opening week.

Why It Might Not Do Well: The question's less if it will do well than if it will be good; interviews have suggested that George Lucas has taken a heavy hand in the writing this time around -- which, frankly, hasn't been a good sign in recent years. Plus there's that disturbing gimmick in the trailer with Indy saying "I thought that was closer ..."; back in the day, Spielberg, Lucas and Ford would have let that go unsaid. ...

Fun Fact: Crystal Skull takes place 19 years after the events of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade -- the same amount of time it's been since we've seen Indy on-screen.

Trivia:


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As the release date for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull draws near, the worried rumblings begin. First, there's insider talk that Indiana Jones is only going to screen for the press a day or two before its premiere. To quote CHUD's Devin Faraci, "I was told a long time ago - when the movie was still filming - to not expect to see Crystal Skull until maybe a day or two before domestic release. According to some insiders, this policy was a smart one, as the movie may not have turned out to be what people in the industry call 'good.' I'm hoping for the best, of course." Aren't we all. This is being whispered elsewhere, so don't shoot this messenger or Faraci.

Second, Crystal Skull is going to have a run time of rather epic proportions. Jeff Wells reports that the final cut runs two hours and twenty odd minutes, longer than any previous Indy installment. There was a great deal of groaning last summer over needlessly long blockbusters -- I rather think Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End was the most guilty. There are some movies that scream for 2+ hours, like anything with hobbits or scantily clad Spartans (ok, that one is just me) but there are others that are just fine clocking in at 90 minutes or so. That's where Indiana Jones belongs -- he's the man who never overstays his welcome and makes a graceful exit, leaving you wanting more. Don't read too much into that.

Is Paramount poised to have the best May imaginable at the box office between Mr. Stark and Dr. Jones? Can you take any movie with a monkey in it seriously? Will Pixar succeed again with WALL-E, or are robots the new Cars? Is a long-awaited sequel 'too little, too late' for X-Files fans? And will Hellboy 2 be the surprise smash of the season? Joining us this week on The Rocchi Review to talk summer's biggest movies is Scott Weinberg of Cinematical and FEARnet, and we try to answer all those questions and more. ... Cinematical's podcast content now has even better sound quality, and is now in iTunes; you can subscribe at this link. Also, you can listen directly here at Cinematical by clicking below:



As ever, you can download the entire podcast right here -- and those of you with RSS Podcast readers can find all of Cinematical's podcast content at this link.

Entertainment Weekly has got their hands on an Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull exclusive. (It's flash, so we can't post it here -- plus they probably would be annoyed. Sorry!) It's a big action shot, with all the usual suspects. Marion is driving, Indy is about to go punch some Soviets, and his son is right behind him. I hope he has a good reason for trying to jump into the other vehicle so lightly armed.

Entertainment Weekly is being very polite and buying into the Lucas-Spielberg pretense that we don't already know who Shia LaBeouf is the genetic combination of. So they call "[the] new character" by his name.

I am bewildered as to how I missed the name of Shia LaBeouf's character. Mutt? Mutt Williams? I thought I had stayed on top of this, but that slipped right by.

"No, son. We called the dog Mutt!!"
"I've got a lot of fond memories of that dog!"

Anyway, enjoy the picture. I think it's very evocative of Raiders.

Oh yes, four exclamation points for the fourth installment in a fantastic franchise. The trailer we've all been waiting for is now online, and you can view it above (courtesy of Yahoo) -- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I don't even want to say anything about the trailer; I almost want the first reaction to come from you fans. This is a biggie. This isn't just another trailer for just another movie. This is Indiana Jones. This is Harrison Ford. This is Steven Spielberg. This is George Lucas. This is ... something we've been waiting 19 years to see. (How lame am I?) So take a breath. Clear the next couple minutes. Sit back, relax and enjoy ...

... then tell us what you think.

He's back in theaters on May 22.

I have a feeling the next several days will be full of posts regarding Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It's clearly apparent these couple of weeks belong to Indy, as we've already been told the first trailer for the film will hit on February 14, and, now, another new photo as well as a brand new featurette on Indy's hat and jacket have arrived online. First off, the film's official website has up yet another nostalgic behind-the-scenes video which goes through the process of finding Indy's iconic hat and jacket for the new film.

Roughly 30 hats and jackets (all the same) were created for the shoot -- a tremendous amount of work, it seems. I especially like the part of the video where Harrison Ford is interviewed, and he talks about the hat. According to Ford, there needs to be a reason (story-wise) for the hat to leave his head. If, for some reason, it accidentally falls off during a shot, Spielberg will cut and re-do the scene. Either the hat falling off moves the story along or it serves as the punchline for a joke, and if you go through each Indiana Jones film, you'll notice this is most certainly the case. So head on over here to check out the new video.

Additionally, The Raider has uncovered a new spoiler-ish photo from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. All I'll say is that it features both Cate Blanchett's character and Shia LaBeouf's character -- and the actual photo was apparently featured in an Italian magazine. Should you be interested in seeing it, we've provided it for you after the jump. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull arrives in theaters on May 22.

What would we do without Variety? The trade confirms tonight what all the movie sites have known for awhile: The first Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull trailer will debut in front of The Spiderwick Chronicles on February 14, and debut on the web shortly thereafter. I'm sure the trailer will hit online prior to its official release, and if it somehow makes it all the way to February 14, many You Tubers will record the thing on their camera phone and it will be up online in no time. And then Paramount will force all of us to post the crappy version (because, c'mon, it's the first Indy trailer; it could come silent, fuzzy and in lime green -- everyone would still post it).

So, hopefully, the studio will realize this and put the trailer online the morning The Spiderwick Chronicles debuts. Don't leave it to those idiotic camera phone rats. The reason for the delay, by the way (and according to Variety), is that a lot of the trailer material wasn't finished. However, producers also feel they don't have to sell Indiana Jones -- the character's already sold himself over the last couple decades.

As the trade also points out, we still haven't seen trailers for The Incredible Hulk (which, in my opinion, really needs to sell itself) and The Mummy 3. They also mention Sex and the City, but we've seen a teaser and -- well -- it's SATC. It has its fans. And they will show up.

I tell ya, they're everywhere! We previously brought you two new Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull photos from a recent issue of Empire, and now MTV Movies Blog has a fresh, crystal clear pic (click on the image to see a larger version over at MTV) of Indy climbing on top a bunch of crates. Oh, but those don't appear to be simple crates from a random crate factory in Crate Land. No no no -- we think those crates belong to the warehouse featured at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. And if that's the case, then Indy is searching for an old friend -- the Ark. But why? Doesn't he know the contents of said Ark make your face melt? Are the Russians (particularly Cate Blanchett's character) after the Ark? Is Indy trying to protect it? Does it hide a clue to whatever this crystal skull is? I guess we'll find out soon enough, but in the meantime I'd like to say that Indy looks pretty good in this image. It's almost as if we never left him.

What's your take on the mysterious plot?

Empire has snagged this new photo from Indiana Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which I believe is the first to show the entire dysfunctional Jones family (minus Papa Jones, of course) heading out for battle together. Holding a bazooka in the middle is our old pal Indy (Harrison Ford), with Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) to his right and Mutt Williams, aka Indy Jr. (Shia LaBeouf) to his left. The photo comes as part of Empire's latest issue, which also features a pretty badass pic of Hellboy (there's a sequel for that coming too!) on its cover.

Empire spoke with producer Frank Marshall, who told them Spielberg is "pretty much done with editing" and that they're now entering "the phase with John Williams where he starts scoring the movie. He's really writing now and then we'll start scoring in February." Additionally, they also asked Marshall where this installment fits in to the rest of the series, to which he replied: "I would say it's closest to the third one (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade). It's all adults. I mean, you have the sidekick in Shia (LaBeouf), but you don't have a Short Round and I think the banter between the characters is as fun as it was in the third movie." Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull arrives in theaters on May 22.

Remember that Vanity Fair story from last week? The one with all the pics, and the quotes from Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Harrison Ford? Well the author of that story, Jim Windolf, is back now apologizing to his editors and the readers for not pressing Spielberg harder on the issue of whether he plans to continue the Indy franchise following this May's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Windolf isn't the first one to raise this question, as last year rumors began floating around with regards to the contracts Ford and co-star Shia LaBeouf signed for Indy 4. At the time, it was speculated that both Ford and LaBeouf agreed to appear in at least three more Indiana Jones films after Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Shortly after that rumor surfaced, Lucasfilm jumped to deny the whole thing, calling it "idle chatter."

But Windolf, in a follow-up story that's way longer than it needs to be, takes a nothing quote from Spielberg and spins it into something much larger. Whether Vanity Fair was saving this second article for another day (and more additional traffic) or if Windolf really did get hammered for not asking about sequels -- we do not know -- but we do know that nothing earth shattering is included here. In case you're interested, here's the key paragraph of Windolf's story:

"When I asked him why he hadn't gone forward with the "Indy IV" script written by writer-director Frank Darabont, he said, "In this case George [Lucas] was passionate that this was not the story he wanted to tell at this point in the Indiana Jones saga ..." Noting that he had used the magic phrase "at this point," I followed up by asking him, "Is that leaving room open for another one?" To which Spielberg replied, "Oh, I don't know. I haven't even thought about that. I'm still in the cutting room. I can't even think beyond the next cut."

Windolf goes on to talk about whether LaBeouf could successfully continue the franchise -- whether he's a big enough name right now -- and blah blah. Like I said, this has all been covered. And until we see the kid operate in that leather jacket and slicked back hair, there's no way we can really form an accurate opinion.

[Thanks Pat for the heads up]

The cover for the comic adaptation of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has been released online, courtesy of Dark Horse Comics. You can click on the image above or check after the jump for the full-sized version, which, I must warn you, might carry spoilers. I personally don't see what the spoilers could be, but it's always best to be safe and give a warning just in case. I've been spending the past 15 minutes trying to figure out what that thing is behind Indiana Jones. Is it a backpack? Some sort of rock structure? A creature? What do you think? Anyway, here's the non-spoilerish plot synopsis that came along with this cover art:

The most anticipated movie event of the summer comes to comics in this adaptation of the fourth Indiana Jones film! The intrepid Doctor Henry Jones Jr. is back in his biggest adventure yet! This time, the world-renowned archaeologist finds himself caught in a series of events that all point to a discovery unlike any other. But will his rivals in pursuit of this priceless treasure seize his quarry from right under his nose? Not if he, and a few unexpected companions, have anything to say about it! The thrill and the humor, the action and the romance, the hat and the whip--everything you love about Indy is here! This is a tale sure to please longtime fans as well as foster a whole generation of new ones!

The publication date is May 22, 2008, the comic runs 96 pages, and it will sell for $12.95.

Happy New Year everyone! Here's hoping you've survived whatever madness the holidays brought forth, and have welcomed 2008 into your home and your heart. I was telling a friend on New Years Eve that it already felt like 2008; how all I've been doing for the past several months is writing about films coming out in 2008, and so in a weird way I've been living in 2008 since -- I dunno -- last May. Anyway, obviously, the big news today came in the form of this Vanity Fair article on Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls. While I hate to kick off the new year on a negative note, I couldn't help but read some of George Lucas' comments and kind of get pissed off at the dude.

Ya know, God bless the guy for giving us Star Wars and the first three Indiana Jones films, but sometimes he just blurts out stupid stuff and comes off as such a d*ck. Take these quotes for example from the Vanity Fair article: "I know the critics are going to hate it [meaning the new Indy film]. They already hate it. So there's nothing we can do about that. They hate the idea that we're making another one. They've already made up their minds." Then, after pretending to know how all the critics feel about the film, he moves on to the fans: "The fans are all upset. They're always going to be upset. 'Why did he do it like this? And why didn't he do it like this?' They write their own movie, and then, if you don't do their movie, they get upset about it. So you just have to stand by for the bricks and the custard pies, because they're going to come flying your way."

First off, which critics already hate this movie? We've always supported it (though we've taken cracks at Harrison Ford and his age), and from what I can tell, all the other major movie sites support the film as well and cannot wait for it. The fans I'll cut him some slack for, seeing as we have received a bunch of comments from folks who don't think this film should've been made. But that being said, why does the guy have to be so negative? Why can't he have faith in his film -- why can't he be a little more convincing and -- I dunno -- give us a reason to support a fourth Indiana Jones film? Is it just me, or is Lucas unleashing his negative vibe a tad too early?

Vanity Fair has published a preview of their pretty massive Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls feature which, online, runs roughly five pages and includes photos from Annie Leibovitz and a video showing the behind the scenes of the photoshoot. As you can see above, we finally get our first look at Cate Blanchett as the villainous (but still extremely sexy) Agent Spalko. The Vanity Fair piece covers it all; from the first time we saw Indy on screen to this (final?) production to interviews with the cast.

When director Steven Spielberg is asked how far along he is in the editing process, he said, "I'm in my second cut, which means I've put the movie together and I've seen it," he says. "I usually do about five cuts as a director. The best news is that, when I saw the movie myself the first time, there was nothing I wanted to go back and shoot, nothing I wanted to reshoot, and nothing I wanted to add." George Lucas, on the other hand, talked a bit about how hard it was coming up with a good MacGuffin this time around: "I'm the one that has to come up with the story, and the MacGuffin, the supernatural object that everyone's going after ... The Ark of the Covenant was perfect. The Shankara Stones were way too esoteric. The Holy Grail was sort of feeble-but, at the same time, we put the father in there to cover for it. I mean, the whole reason it became a dad movie was because I was scared to hell that there wasn't enough power behind the Holy Grail to carry a movie."

We've included the rest of the photos after the jump, and be sure to head on over here to check out the full story.

P.S. In that second photo below of LaBeouf and Allen, check out the background. Look a little familiar?

[via Joblo]

Following a lackluster showing at the 2007 Superbowl, the major Hollywood studios are gearing up for a major presence at the 2008 Superbowl early next year. Variety reports that Paramount, Sony, New Line, Disney, Universal, Warner Bros. and Fox have all bought air time during the game -- with some opting to unspool trailers during the pre and post-game shows. Among the films you'll see trailers for are Iron Man, Will Smith's Hancock, Adam Sandler's Don't Mess With the Zohan and Will Ferrell's Semi-Pro -- that latter of which will involve a collaboration with Budweiser, which should turn out pretty funny (I picture Ferrell with an afro guzzling Bud or something nutty like that).

Disney isn't sure whether they'll be showing a trailer for Pixar's Wall-E or The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, while Universal, Warner Bros. and Fox have not disclosed yet which films they intend to preview. DreamWorks, DreamWorks Animation, MGM and United Artists opted not to buy any air time. I imagine Universal will go with The Incredible Hulk for their trailer, assuming one is finished, and they'll need this giant stage to jump into the summer marketing ring considering films like Iron Man, Indiana Jones 4 and The Dark Knight are already extremely active with their campaigns. If Universal wants to wash away the bad taste caused by the last Hulk film, they'll need to get on the ball with this new one and fast. Of course, we'll find out exactly which trailers will show when the Superbowl airs live on Fox this February 3 (God, just the thought of how many American Idol commercials we'll have to suffer through is already giving me stomach pains).