The Indy Experience.com - The Ultimate Guide to Indiana Jones!

Natalie Portman in Indiana Jones IV?
November 30th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

More talk of an offspring for Indiana Jones. IESB.net received some interesting information that came from the premier of Natalie Portman's latest film, Closer. Seems that Portman may have a role in Indiana Jones 4 as possibly Indy's daughter...

"Portman, 23 , obviously doesn't have to break into cold sweat to reflect on her time on the Star Wars films. There's already talking about the actress working with George Lucas again on another multi-million dollar franchise entry, Indiana Jones. Even before filming had wrapped on The Phantom Menace, Portman let the director know that she'd love a part in the next Indiana Jones movie back, and the word is, he might have found a slot for her in the anticipated sequel. Smells like Indiana Jones has an offspring...

This is the first that we hear Natalie Portman's name attached to the Indiana Jones sequel. Perfect timing since Harrison Ford will be hosting the premiere of Hotel Rwanda that we will be covering on Thursday. Just one more question that we will throw at Mr. Ford."

There were rumors to this affect years and years ago, but this is the first we've heard of Portman playing the part of Indy's daughter. No idea if this has much merit behind it, but it's very interesting nonetheless. Check out IESB.net for the full article and stay tuned to The Indy Experience.com for the latest!

Thanks to Eddie for the news!

Temple of the Forbidden Eye 10th Anniversary Event!
November 28th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

We have some great new information on Disney's Indiana Jones 10th anniversary celebration we reported on back in September. Disney Land, California is celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye attraction March 3rd, 2005, and they're giving you a chance to get in on the action. Here are the latest details on the event

In celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Indiana Jones™ Adventure attraction we will take Guests back in time to the 1930's, as our favorite archeologist prepares to embark on a journey through the remote jungles of India in his quest for the Temple of the Forbidden Eye. Guests will determine their fate by choosing one of our event packages. But Beware the Eye of Mara.

Temple of the Forbidden Eye Event Package:

One night accommodation at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel
Breakfast at a Disneyland Resort Hotel Restaurant
Entry into Disneyland park (on 3/3/05 after 8:30 p.m. for event)
Ancient Grub
Exciting ride through the Indiana Jones Adventure attraction
Opportunity to Pre-Purchase Limited Edition Themed Event Merchandise
Commemorative Photo Opportunity
Commemorative Gift

Lost Delta Event Package:

Entry into Disneyland park (on 3/3/05 after 8:30 p.m. for event)
Ancient Grub
Exciting ride through the Indiana Jones Adventure attraction
Opportunity to Pre-Purchase Limited Edition Themed Event Merchandise
Commemorative Photo Opportunity
Commemorative Gift

Reservations for the event can be made at www.DisneyGallery.com starting December 1st. Tickets for the Temple of the Forbidden Eye Event Package are $450 per person and tickets for the Lost Delta Event Package are $150 per person. You can learn more about the event at Disney.com.

Thanks to Jonesy for the update!

Raiders Adaptation Screening in Seattle!
November 28th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Good news for Indy fans in Seattle, Washington! Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation will be in town for the Northwest Film Forum this December. There will be two screenings at the film festival, with one of the film's co-creators, Chris Strompolos in attendance for both screenings!

Friday, December 10th at 11:00 PM
Saturday, December 11th at 11:00 PM

Check out Northwest Film Forum for more information. And to learn more about the remake, check out TIE.c's Raiders Adaptation Page.

Thanks to Chris Strompolos for the news!

Possible Indiana Jones 4 Locations?
November 22nd, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Ain't It Cool News posted an email from someone called 'Darth Sugarplum' concerning King Kong and a trip he took to the Skywalker Ranch. But the most interesting part was at the end of his letter where he noted something very strange he spotted at the Ranch:

Also, during the tour of the ranch we visited the library. A pile of papers on the desk were labelled 'To shred' and 'I4'. Indy 4? Who knows? Anyway, they showed 50's photos of the Golden Gate bridge plus photos of 50's London, including Big Ben.

So, a stack of papers in the library of the Skywalker Ranch designated for shredding labeled "I4" with 1950's photos of London and the Golden Gate Bridge. Interesting... Just a coincidence? Or could these be location photos for Indiana Jones 4? Hard to say, there's no evidence to support it, then again there's no evidence to refute it. Nonetheless, it is intriguing. The locations seem right for an Indiana Jones adventure and the timeline is right. Only time well tell. Stay tuned to TIE.c for the latest!

Thanks to Eddie for the news!

Reliving the Scene: Indy vs. The Swordsman
November 22nd, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

The Belfast Telegraph posted a short article by Roger Clarke about one of the most famous scenes in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Of course, we all remember the scene in which Indy is confronted by a menacing Cairo swordsman, and instead of sticking with the script, Indy just pulls out his gun and shoots him. Thus creating one of the funniest and most memorable scenes of the entire film. To read more, check out Story of The Scene: 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'.

Thanks to Eddie for the link!

Tadeo Jones Trailer Online!
November 22nd, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

A VERY cool trailer for the animated Indiana Jones parody, Tadeo Jones is now online! The short looks great, very impressive, be sure you have a look at this. You download the trailer at www.tadeojones.com where you will also find updates on the short as well.. The Tadeo Jones trailer requires DivX to play.

Thanks to Rober from IndyESP.net for the update!

Response to the Raiders Novelization Lawsuit
November 19th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

We've got a quick update on the lawsuit over the Raiders of the Lost Ark novelization we reported on a few days ago. As promised, we contacted Mr. Black and Lucasfilm for comments on the lawsuit and here's what we received.

When asked about the lawsuit filed against George Lucas, Campbell Black was very gracious and stated that he could not make any comments at this time for legal reasons. This is understandable of course.

We also asked the Lucasfilm PR department if they would like to comment on the lawsuit and here's what they have to say: "We have no idea what Mr. Black is talking about in the release. We have provided Mr. Black with full access to our accounting records for the novelization of the Raiders of the Lost Ark which was published over 20 years ago. Mr. Black was fully paid for his work and the suit lacks any merit."

There you have it, the response to the Raiders novelization lawsuit. The reaction on the Internet these past few days has also been significant. This story has wound up on quite a few websites and message boards.

Special thanks to Campbell Black and Lucasfilm for their cooperation and for sharing their time with us.

Raiders on AFI's 100 Movie Quotes List!
November 19th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes is coming soon, and the list features various Steven Spielberg films including Jaws, E.T. and of course, Raiders of the Lost Ark. With so many great lines to consider, AFI chose Indy's reaction to the opening of the Well of Souls, and the answer to the age old question, why does the floor move? "Snakes... Why did it have to be snakes?" The famous line from Raiders of the Lost Ark is currently apart of the 400 candidates for AFI's 100 Movie Quotes list. You can view the full list at AFI.com.

Thanks to Spielbergfilms.com for the news!

George Lucas Sued Over Raiders Novelization Dispute
November 13th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

I received an email from a friend of Campbell Black, the man who wrote the novelization for Raiders of the Lost Ark. Mr. Black filed a $4 million lawsuit against George Lucas in October apparently because Lucasfilm failed to pay Mr. Black royalties for the Raiders novelization. Here's the information from the the press release:

MOVIE MOGUL GEORGE LUCAS SUED OVER ALLEGATIONS THAT HIS COMPANY FAILED TO PAY AUTHOR ROYALTIES FOR THE NOVELIZATION OF RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

Los Angeles-November 8- A four million dollar lawsuit was filed on October 26 at the Marin County Superior Court in San Rafael, California against LucasFilm, Ltd. on behalf of author Campbell Black. A hearing for the case is set for March 15, 2005 in Marin County court.

The lawsuit alleges the filmmaker failed to pay Mr. Black royalties or provide a disclosure of earnings, an accounting, or any statements for a period in excess of 20 years since the inception of the worldwide best selling novelization of the film for which Mr. Black was commissioned.

Sources indicate Mr. Black, who now resides in Ireland, has retained the law offices of David Abrams (Encino, California) and Morris Getzels (Beverly Hills, California).

According to Mr. Abrams: "Initially I would like to believe this dispute originated because of sloppy bookkeeping and a lack of administrative organization within Lucasfilm. However, further review of the facts reveal when errors and discrepancies were brought to Mr. Lucas' attention, instead of an apology and provision of a full accounting of earnings, LucasFilm stood steadfast and refused without explanation to give Mr. Black any information. Clearly LucasFilm believes they are too important to deal with one single author in a fair and fiduciary manner. Before filing suit every effort was provided to Mr. Lucas to settle this amicably. Mr. Black had no choice other than to file this suit".

Mr. Black was commissioned by Lucas to write the novelization based on the phenomenal success of the 1981 movie Raiders of the Lost Ark. The book became an immediate international bestseller for years, and a collector's item among Indiana Jones fans, and enjoyed numerous reprints as well as being a Book of the Month Club selection in several countries.

The LucasFilms Ltd. contract with the author stipulates that Lucas would communicate directly with all publishers and have total control over all information regarding sales of the book. As the sole source of information concerning both sales figures and royalty statements, Mr. Lucas and his company have never given Mr. Black a full and accurate accounting of monies due.

We'll try to get some comments from Mr. Black and Lucasfilm on this matter. Stay tuned for more updates in the near future.

Temple of Doom Screening in Minneapolis
November 11th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Good news for Indy fans in Minnesota! Riverview Theater in Minneapolis will be screening Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom this Friday and Saturday at Midnight! For ticket purchase, location and contact information, visit Riverview Theater.com.

Thanks to Eddie for the link!

LucasArts President Talks Indiana Jones Gaming
November 10th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

The Hollywood Reporter spoke with LucasArts President Jim Ward about the latest Star Wars game as well as the possibility of Harrison Ford's voice and likeness appearing in an Indiana Jones video game:

THR: You have also mentioned revitalizing the Indiana Jones intellectual property. Would an Indiana Jones game feature Harrison Ford's voice and likeness?

Ward: We're currently evaluating the value that bringing Hollywood likenesses and voices to the table would bring to Indiana Jones. I'm not convinced that the wholesale studio approach that Electronic Arts undertakes with its James Bond and other Hollywood-licensed games is the way to go. ... With "Star Wars" and Indiana Jones, people identify with these brands. It might make sense to work with one or two actors from a property on the game front, but we'll see. Certainly, with Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford is Indiana Jones. So something like that might make sense.

As far as Ford's likeness goes, LucasArts pretty much nailed that one in Emperor's Tomb. While the voice acting in Emperor's Tomb was impressive, Harrison Ford would give a whole new aspect to Indy gaming, how cool would that be? Check out Yahoo.com for the full interview.

Thanks to Eddie for the tip!

John Williams to be Honored at the Kennedy Center!
November 3rd, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Indiana Jones.com reported that Indiana Jones Trilogy composer John Williams will be honored at the 27th Annual Kennedy Center Honors. The dinner will be held December 4th, and hosted by Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Composing music for motion pictures for six decades and counting, Williams is considered the most powerful champion of orchestral music on the big screen. In addition to his film work, Williams is also a laureate conductor of the one of the world's most popular symphonies, the Boston Pops Orchestra.

Alongside Williams, this year's other recipients of the award include: actor, producer, writer and director Warren Beatty; singer and composer Sir Elton John; soprano Dame Joan Sutherland; and husband-and-wife producers Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee.

The Honors will be taped and then presented later on in December on CBS as a two hour prime time special. It is without a doubt that Mr. Williams is deserving of this award. John Williams' overwhelming contribution to film over his career has revolutionized the way we listen to movies. Fact is, without John Williams, Raiders of the Lost Ark just wouldn't have been the same. Visit Kennedy-Center.org to learn more about the awards.

Congratulations John Williams!

Raiders: Adaptation Bio-Pic Title and Writer Announced!
November 2nd, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

The Hollywood Reporter has announced the title and the writer for the Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation biographical film! The story of Chris Strompolos, Eric Zala and Jayson Lamb's crusade to film a shot-for-shot remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark will be called, Backyard Resistance! The writer who has been signed to the project is Daniel Clowes, (Ghost World, Art School Confidential). Here's the story from THR:

"Cartoonist-turned-screenwriter Daniel Clowes has signed on to write "Backyard Resistance" for producer Scott Rudin and Paramount Pictures. The project revolves around a trio of youngsters who made a shot-by-shot remake of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" called "Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation." Earlier this year, Rudin secured the life rights to the Mississippi trio behind the film- Chris Strompolos, Eric Zala and Jayson Lamb- after Vanity Fair published an article about them. The three began the project while on summer vacation in 1982, finishing it seven years later, shooting on a VHS camcorder and using backwoods Mississippi locales. Clowes wrote the graphic novel "Ghost World," which he adapted into the 2000 MGM movie with filmmaker Terry Zwigoff."

Big thanks to Eric Zala for letting us know and thanks to Coming Soon.net!

More on the New Indiana Jones Video Game
November 1st, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

We've gotten two reports today about a new Indiana Jones video game that may be in the works right now. Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine included a tidbit in their rumor mill section about a possible new Indy game:

"Will a fourth Indiana Jones movie ever happen? The Q sure hopes so (Raiders of the Lost Ark is still one of my all-time faves). But either way, I’m hearing that LucasArts is planning yet another videogame expedition for the tough-as-nails archeologist. Look for Dr. Jones to travel to the land of next-generation consoles in 2006."

We've heard a lot of talk in the past few months about a new Indy game that might be in the works, but no official information as of yet. However, we have received a tip from someone at LucasArts that LucasArts is teaming up with The Collective once again to produce another Indiana Jones game.

There's been no official word on a release date (just sometime in 2006), nor is it known if the game has gone into production yet. There has been some speculation among the TIE.c staff that this game might be based on Indiana Jones 4 but that is just SPECULATION at this point and should be taken as a only rumor. That's all the info we have as of now, but nonetheless this is very exciting news!

It is also good to point out that rumors are floating around that Microsoft is working on Xbox 2. From what we've heard, the new Xbox could be released in 2006. This timeline fits with the quote from Electronic Gaming Monthly. So who knows? We could have a new Indiana Jones game for the new Xbox 2 sometime in 2006! Stay tuned to TIE.c for the latest!

Temple of Doom on USA Network This Month
November 1st, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

USA Network will have two showings of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom November 25th for those who want to check it out. Temple of Doom will be shown at both 2:30 PM EST and 10:30 PM EST on Thursday the 25th. For more information and further schedules, check out USA Network.com.

Thanks to Eddie for the heads up!

Raiders Featured in Movies.com DVD Editorial
November 1st, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Movies.com's The Cinema Files is running an editorial of "The 10 Movies You Gotta See That Scared the Crap Of Us When We Were Kids." Featured at number one in the list is of course the 1973 horror, The Exorcist. And at number six on the list is Raiders of the Lost Ark:

The scene in which Indy fights off thousands of snakes with his torch was scary enough, but when the Ark of the Covenant was opened and everyone's face melted, we pretty much burst into hysterical tears and didn't stop crying until a week later.

Check out the full list at Movies.com and thanks to Michał Szóstka from The Polish Indiana Jones Site for the link!

John Kerry Views In-Flight Screening of the Indy Trilogy
November 1st, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Here's some interesting Indy-related political news this morning. On a flight to Wisconsin, John Kerry and some friends enjoyed an in-flight screening of the Indiana Jones Trilogy DVDs. Here's the quote from The International Herald Tribune:

Behind the curtain of his airplane cabin, Kerry and some of his closest friends wound their way through the Indiana Jones trilogy on DVD.

Thanks to Eddie for the link!