UPDATED: Custom Indiana Jones Figure @ Comic-Con
July 28th, 2006| Posted by Aaron

UPDATE: Yesterday, I reported that a company called Kaching Brands was coming out with a new Indiana Jones 12" figure, however Les informed me that it turns out that the figure on display at the San Diego Comic-Con was just a custom Indy figure done by the company's artists in order to show off their talent. The company has no plans to market the Indy figure (or any of the other Harrison Ford figures on display) at this time. Les spoke with a representative from Kaching Brands, who stated that they have no plans to sell the Indy figure, however if demand grows, anything can happen. Hopefully they'll come to their senses and choose to release the figure to fans eager to get their hands on a descent Indy figure. Nevertheless, you can check out pictures of the 12" tall Indy over at Rebelscum.com.

Thanks to Les for the update!

ORIGINAL STORY: Rebelscum.com reported on another Indiana Jones figure in the works that was showcased at the San Diego Comic-Con earlier this month. The new Indy figure is 1/6 scale and stands at 12" tall. Kaching Brands is the company responsible for this new prototype, and featured two Han Solo figures and what appears to be a President James Marshall figure (Harrison Ford's character in Air Force One, in case you didn't know) along side the Indiana Jones figure at its booth at the Comic-Con.

Looks promising! No word on price or street date, but we'll keep you posted. In the mean time, check out Rebelscum.com to learn more and to check out some pictures of the new toy.

Thanks to Adriel for the news!

 

Sansweet Talks Indiana Jones 4
July 22nd, 2006| Posted by Aaron

ComingSoon.net posted a report from the San Diego Comic-Con in which Steve Sansweet, Head of Fan Relations at Lucasfilm, stated that David Koepp's screenplay for Indiana Jones 4 should be ready in a couple of months, and that "they are hoping pre-production can start at the end of this year or early 2007." Hopefully the script can get approval from all sides (Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford and of course the always hard-to-please George Lucas) and production can begin ASAP. Stay tuned for the latest!

 

UPDATED: Indiana Jones "Cinemaquette" Coming in 2007!
July 21st, 2006| Posted by Aaron

UPDATE: Jason informed me of 13 more pictures of the Indiana Jones "Cinemaquette", which can be viewed at at ActionFigs.com. Here are some facts about the Indy Cinemaquette that was found on the display at the San Diego Comic-Con:

24 inchest in height, Constructed of polyurethane composite with silicon skin, Each hair individually punched with real human hair, Wardrobe reproduced in scale with precise detail, Limited in production to 1,000 units worldwide.

It should also be noted that the Indy Cinemaquette is a prototype, which is still awaiting approval from Harrison Ford and the license (Lucasfilm?). Also, you can learn more about the Cinemaquette at, where else? Cinemaquette.com! There, they explain what a Cinemaquette actually is:

"What if the great moments in cinema could step out of the screen and into your living room? Not merely a poster or a toy, but a stunningly accurate, three-dimensional memento of some of the most popular characters in modern film. Lavishly produced and detailed, each Cinemaquette immortalizes its subject with breathtaking vividness - a work of art fit for a museum, yet still affordably priced for any home or office.

Each Cinemaquette will recreate its subject in 1:3 scale, with an approximate height of 24 inches, varying for authenticity. Making use of a revolutionary silicon sculpting process, the Cinemaquettes provide unheard-of realism and detail in the likenesses of the subject, to a degree never before seen in mere collectibles or statues. The structures of the bodies themselves are constructed from die-cast metal and polystone resin, while the character's clothing and equipment are reproduced in full detail. Each Cinemaquette will rest on a trademark pedestal, in front of an appropriate diorama-style setting."

ORIGINAL STORY: Indiana Jones collecting site, Throw Me The Idol.com has posted the first picture of an amazing new 24" tall Indiana Jones Cinemaquette from the San Diego Comic-Con. This Indy collectable is based off of Dr. Jones' look in Raiders of the Lost Ark and is surprisingly well-done. Throw Me The Idol reports that the Indy Cinemaquette should be shipping out in the first quarter of 2007. Hopefully this is a sign of new Indy merchandise to come!

Also, according to Comic-Con.org, LucasArts talked more about the new Indy game earlier today, so hopefully we'll be hearing more about that soon.

Check out Throw Me The Idol.com for more info on Indy collectables.

Thanks to Peter for the links!

 

Raiders of the Lost Ark Screenings in Chicago
July 21st, 2006| Posted by Aaron

Heads up, Chi-Town! The Music Box Theatre in Chicago, IL will be screening a brand new 35mm print of Raiders of the Lost Ark from July 21st - 27th in celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Raiders!

Friday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday screening times: 5:15 PM, 7:30 PM, 9:45 PM
Saturday and Sunday screening times: 1:15 PM, 5:15 PM, 7:30 PM, 9:45 PM

For more information, visit Music Box Theatre.com to learn more.

Thanks to Jason for the news!

 

SpielbergFilms.com Interviews The Man Himself
July 17th, 2006| Posted by Aaron

Steven Awalt of SpielbergFilms.com is the envy of all the film fans of the world, as he was given the chance to interview Steven Spielberg himself! In the interview, Spielberg discusses the essentials, including Indiana Jones 4. Here's an excerpt of what he had to say:

Awalt: Is ‘Indiana Jones’ going to be the ‘sweet dessert after the bitter herbs’ of ‘Munich’ that you’d mentioned in the one interview?

Spielberg: Well you know, George and I have been promising it for a lot of years now, but I’m making every attempt to keep my promise. I just want to make sure that the fanbase is given the best ‘Indiana Jones’ anybody could possibly make, and until I can assure myself that at least I’m trying to make the best ‘Indiana Jones’ film of all time, the development will continue. The process of developing the script will continue, and it continues right now with David Koepp writing the script.

Awalt: That was a surprising turn!

Spielberg: Well David Koepp is a great closer. And he’s done some great projects for me, you know all of them. And I feel that if anybody can do it and pull this together, David can.

Awalt: The Darabont screenplay. You’ve probably read some of the controversy.

Spielberg: It’s a wonderful screenplay!

Awalt: That’s what I’ve heard you thought of it.

Spielberg: I liked it a lot.

Awalt: Are you going to use any parts of it in the final version of the film?

Spielberg: I am not.

Awalt: Will it ever see the light of day?

Spielberg: Someday… [hesitates] No, I don’t think it will. Darabont wrote a wonderful screenplay and Frank’s a very close friend of mine and we’re collaborating on a number of things, but sadly ‘Indy 4’ will not be one of them.

Spielberg also spoke about the Abraham Lincoln bio pic, stating that the script was being written and that it would hopefully being production in September/October of 2007. When asked if the Lincoln film would be done before Indy 4 or not, Spielberg was unsure, since everything is still developing.

Very cool stuff. As always, Spielberg and crew are doing their best to give us fans the best Indiana Jones 4 that they can, and I have no doubt that they will succeed. Be sure to check out SpielbergFilms.com to read the full interview.

Thanks to Steven Awalt for the news!

 

Happy Birthday Harrison Ford!
July 13th, 2006| Posted by Aaron

The man himself, Harrison Ford, turns 64 today and The Indy Experience.com along with all the Indy fans of the land wish him a happy birthday. Harrison Ford was born on July 13, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois. Ford went on to portray some of the most beloved film characters of all time, including Indiana Jones himself. Happy birthday, Harry!

 

Karen Allen Says Indy May Have a Daughter
July 10th, 2006| Posted by Aaron

This past weekend, Karen Allen attended a special screening of Raiders of the Lost Ark in New York City, where a question and answer session was held. And anytime someone involved with the Indiana Jones films shows up in public, he or she is bound to get asked about the next installment of the series. Ain't It Cool News received a report from someone who attended the screening, stating that Ms. Allen had been about her involvement in Indiana Jones 4:

"Someone asked about her involvement in INDY IV and she said she'd heard a lot of rumors but had not been approached directly yet. But she also said she just heard last night that Natalie Portman might be cast as INDY'S Daughter. Which lead her to speculate about a scene in Raiders when she awakens in the submarine and casually grabs her nightgown. Karen said that now she sees that scene and wonders if she and Indy had a "wild night" on the sub which might have resulted in a new member of the Jones family. Anyways hope you find this useful."

Dark Horizons also received a similar report on the subject:

"I asked the $64,000 question: would Marion and Indy reunite in number four? She laughed, and said she hears all kinds of rumors, just like everybody - 'a friend will call me and say they read such-and-such in the Chicago Tribune.' She's heard rumors that they were trying to find a place in it for her and for Kate Capshaw, 'to tie up loose ends,' but she emphasized that from what she's heard, Spielberg and Lucas are focussed on getting the best script they can, and that 'we'll know (who's in it)...when we know.'

She added that she recently heard a rumor that Natalie Portman may play Indy's daughter. She laughed and said that, while watching the film this evening for the first time in many years, she noticed she didn't have her nightgown on in the 'morning-after' scene on Katanga's boat. 'So who knows, maybe I have a daughter!' she joked."

This is not the first time we've heard talk about Natalie Portman joining the Indy 4 cast as Dr. Jones' daughter. It is an intriguing idea and a plausible one too. But for now, it will have to remain a rumor until further notice. Stay tuned!

Thanks to Greg, Sean and Todd for the news!

 

Lucas Drops Info on Indiana Jones 4 Plot?
July 4th, 2006| Posted by Aaron

SpielbergFilms.com posted a transcript of the speeches given by Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Harrison Ford at the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony held in honor of Sir Sean Connery. All three made references to the Indiana Jones films and Connery's contributions to the series in Last Crusade. Lucas made reference to Connery's recent annoucements that he would be retiring from acting and his envolvement (?) in Indiana Jones 4:

I stood here last year as a recipient of this prestigious award, and I stand here tonight as an executive producer and sometimes writer struggling to bring “Indiana Jones 4” to life. [applause] A writer who nearly had a heart attack when I read about your retirement in the newspapers, which leaves me with a rather brilliant, touching story about a father and a son, but without a father for Indiana Jones.

So what to do? Well, the easiest thing would be option one: not to include Indiana’s father. But then I began to think about option two: I could kill your character.

[Graphic shows Henry Jones, Sr. killed in llama stampede. Audience laughs.]

Well, maybe speaking as a producer, I should probably have saved a little money.
[Graphic shows Henry Jones Sr. killed in shower by slipping on a bar of soap. Audience laughs.]

Much as I wouldn’t want to do this, if you truly did retire, we could go to option three, which is to replace you with another actor. Maybe not the wisest thing to try, but what about [graphic of Clint Eastwood on screen behind Lucas], or hey, maybe [graphic of Jack Nicholson]. I don’t know. Who could possibly be tough enough to spank Harrison Ford? [graphic of Condoleezza Rice]

It can’t be done. You’re one of a kind. A man of wisdom and honor and intellect and gravitas. Congratulations Sean!

So was Lucas serious? Was Indy 4 supposed to involve Henry Jones Sr., or was George just joking around? Hard to tell, but it is an interesting idea.

And please be sure to drop by SpielbergFilms.com to read all three speeches, all of which were quite funny.

 

Five Things You Didn't Know About Indy 4 Article
July 4th, 2006| Posted by Aaron

Beter late than never as they say. AskMen.com an article of the "5 Things You Didn't Know About Indiana Jones 4" (unless you're an Indy fan or avid reader of this site). The list included information both recent and old, but nevertheless entertaining. Check out the full list at AskMen.com.

Thanks to Eric Zala for the link!

 

Six Raiders Screenings in July and August
July 4th, 2006| Posted by Aaron

SpielbergFilms.com posted info on six screenings of Raiders of the Lost Ark in the coming weeks. The Pittsburgh Citipark's 2006 "Comcast Cinema in the Park" in Pittsburgh, PA will feature a total of six screenings of Raiders in six different parks throughout the city:

• July 29th, at Riverview Park (on Observatory Hill) at 9 PM,
• August 1st, at West End (at Elliott Overlook) at 9 PM,
• August 4th, at Arsenal Park at 9 PM,
• August 5th, at Grandview Park at 9 PM,
• August 6th, at Schenley Park at 9 PM,
• August 7th at East Liberty at 9 PM

Thanks to SpielbergFilms.com for the news!