Archived News Stories from 2004: December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004

Raiders: Adaptation Movie Poll!
October 31st, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Just received an email from Chris Strompolos, co-creator of Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation.  Movies.com is running a poll about the Scott Rudin produced bio-pic of the Mississippi kids who remade Raiders.  The poll asks if people would be interested in seeing the Untitled Raiders of the Lost Ark Tribute.  For those who haven't heard, Scott Rudin will be producing a film about Chris Strompolos, Eric Zala and Jayson Lamb and the story of how they remade Raiders of the Lost Ark!

Be sure to vote in the poll at Movies.com and to learn more about the remake, check out TIE.c's Raiders: Adaptation page for more info.

Thanks to Chris Strompolos for the news!

Jeff Nathanson Hired to Rewrite Indiana Jones 4
October 27th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Variety is reporting that Jeff Nathanson has been hired by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas to rewrite the Indiana Jones 4 script.  Nathanson wrote the screenplays for the Rush Hour films including the scripts for Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can and he co-wrote The Terminal.

Assuming Nathanson will be able to turn out a script that Spielberg, Lucas and Ford (especially Lucas) like, then they will all three have to rework their schedules to fit Indy IV in.  Spielberg is currently filming War of the Worlds with Tom Cruise.  Spielberg was then planning to shoot his film about the 1972 Munich Olympics.  Aside from that, Lucas is working on completing Revenge of the Sith and Ford is getting ready for The Wrong Element and after that, Ford is planning to shoot Godspeed.

Once Nathanson finishes the screenplay, the only problem we'll be left with is whether or not The Big Three will be able clear their schedules and get to work on Indy 4.  But it should be reassuring that both Spielberg and Lucas have expressed their hopes to film Indiana Jones 4 in 2005.  I suppose it's best to leave it to the experts!  Stay tuned to TIE.c for the latest.

Last Crusade Aerial Photographer Passes Away
October 25th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Times Online posted the obituary of the man who pioneered the techniques of aerial shots, Peter Allwork, passed away July this year.  Allwork was the founder of Aerial Camera Systems (ACS).  Allwork worked with some of Hollywood's greatest directors including Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott and Richard Attenborough.

Allwork was the director of aerial photography on Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.  Peter Allwork was born on December 26th, 1928 and died on July 30th, 2004 at the age of 76.  Very sad news indeed.

You can read the full obituary at Times Online and thanks to MI6 for the link.

Raiders of the Lost Ark Inspired M. Night Shyamalan
October 23rd, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Ireland Online posted a few quotes from director M. Night Shyamalan, best known for his films The Sixth Sense and his most recent flick, The Village.  It turns out Raiders of the Lost Ark had a great impact on the director when he was young, and inspired him to become a filmmaker.  Here's the quote from Night:

"This was the movie that got me into filmmaking.  I went to see it with a friend when I was 12.  I remember finding the film's religious message about some things being too pure to be seen by human eyes intoxicating.  Three years later I began to think seriously about making movies for a living."

We've heard time and time again, comparisons between M. Night and directors such as Steven Spielberg and Alfred Hitchcock and it doesn't surprise me that Raiders would have this kind of effect.  This is just more evidence of the influence Raiders of the Lost Ark has had on our culture and on Hollywood.

Check out the full article at Ireland Online.

Thanks to Eddie for the news!

Indiana Jones Reference in Team America
October 18th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

TheForce.net reported on several Star Wars references in Team America: World Police (the latest film by Trey Parker and Matt Stone) including a reference to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

When one of the characters, Lisa, is being held by Kim Jong Il, she's dressed in a costume similar to the dress Willie Scott wore in the Club Obi-Wan opening number at the beginning of Temple of Doom.

Check out TheForce.net for more references.

 

New Indiana Jones Desktop Icons!
October 17th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

The Iconfactory has posted some excellent Indiana Jones icons for use on your desktop!  These icons were created by Anthony Piraino and are very well done.  The quality is amazing and they are available for both Windows and Mac computers.  This collection of icons include various relics from Raiders of the Lost Ark including:

• Ark of the Covenant
• Cairo Basket
• Boulder
• Ark Crate
• Indy's Fedora
• Headpiece to the Staff of Ra
• Golden Idol
• Sandbag
• Bullwhip

These should work great for giving your desktop the desired Indiana Jones theme.  And I must reiterate, the quality is astounding, better than any other icon collection we have ever seen.  Visit The Iconfactory to download the icons.

Thanks to Michał Szóstka from the Polish Indiana Jones Site for the link!

 

Lucas to Receive 33rd AFI Lifetime Achievement Award!
October 17th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Sir Howard Stringer, chair of the American Film Institute Board of Trustees announced Friday that George Lucas has been nominated to receive the 33rd annual AFI Lifetime Achievement Award!

"I've been very fortunate to have had a long career doing what I love to do, and being recognized by the AFI for it is really an honor," Lucas said. "I'm proud to be counted among such an extraordinary group of people whose lives are dedicated to the art of making movies."

Previous recipients of the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award include Steven Spielberg, Alfred Hitchcock, Sidney Poitier and Orson Welles.  The award will be presented to Lucas at a gala tribute in Los Angeles in June 2005 which will be broadcast by USA Network.

Well, it's about time.  The AFI Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest honor for a film career, and George Lucas has certainly earned it.  The only thing left to say is congratulations!

You can read the full press release at AFI.com.

 

New Indiana Jones Merchandise at Disneyworld!
October 14th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Indiana Jones.com announced that there's a new line of Indiana Jones collectables exclusively at Walt Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida:

To celebrate the popularity of the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular attraction, Disney has recently released new Indiana Jones Adventure-themed merchandise including T-shirts, tank tops, hats and pens, which are currently available only at Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida.

The official site also announced that there's new Indy merchandise coming exclusively to Japan as well:

Good Speed and Via Transports have also released a new line of Indiana Jones merchandise including long-sleeved shirts, comic book print shirts, and more, available only in Japan.

It looks like we've got an awesome select of Indiana Jones t-shirts with some great designs.  Be sure to check out Indiana Jones.com for more information and for pictures, definitely worth a look!

'The Raiders Guys' on Australian TV!
October 8th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Chris Strompolos, Eric Zala and Jayson Lamb continue to make headlines and TV appearances, this time on the Australian TV show, Enough Rope.  The interview featured all three filmmakers from LA via satellite where they talked about their amazing journey to remake Raiders of the Lost Ark.  The show featured several clips from The Adaptation and Chris, Eric and Jayson had quite a few interesting stories to tell.  You can read the full transcript of the interview at ABC.net.au.

Thanks to Chris Strompolos for the news! 

Sean Connery Probably Won't Be in Indy 4
October 8th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Just received a report that a Scottish based television show ran a story on Sean Connery's retirement and that he probably won't be back for Indy 4.

The news show, Scotland Today, talked about Sean Connery recently backing out of the film Joshua's Cannon and the possibility that he might be retiring from acting.  They also mentioned that the producers of Indiana Jones 4 are having to work around the fact that Sean Connery probably won't be in the fourth film.  Apparently he was initially in the storyline but now they will be forced to rework the story.

The TV show also mentioned that production on Indiana Jones 4 is supposed to begin in mid 2005.  We have no idea if this is correct or just misquoted information but it's not official at this time.  All the reports we've been getting say Indy 4 should begin filming in early 2005 just as Mr. Spielberg had hoped.

Please note, none of this information is official nor confirmed, so things can change.  Though it is worth speculating that if Sean Connery did play a large role in Indiana Jones 4, Spielberg and Lucas would be left with a gap in their script if Connery was indeed retiring from acting all together.

Overall, the information on this story is a bit sketchy, if you have seen the news show about Sir Connery and have any more information pertaining to it that you would like to share, please send us an email.

Thanks to Will for the news! 

CNN Talks with Frank Darabont about Indy 4
October 7th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

CNN.com posted an article on Frank Darabont's The Shawshank Redemption and the 10th Anniversary DVD.  CNN also mentioned Darabont's Indiana Jones 4 script and how Spielberg loved it but Lucas didn't.  Nothing really new in the interview, but here's the quote:

He even wrote an "Indiana Jones 4" screenplay for George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, but alas, 'twas not meant to be.

"I wrote a script, Steven loved it, wanted to shoot it this year. George didn't love it, it got sort of lost between two conflicting opinions and now I think they're trying to figure out what, if anything, to do from here," Darabont said.

Which prompts the question, what didn't Lucas like?

"You know what, it's a disappointment and not really worth getting into details on it. Suffice it to say, he didn't like it nearly as much as Steven and I did. Sometimes it works that way," he shrugged. "As they say in 'The Godfather,' 'This is the business we have chosen.' Sometimes things go really well, sometimes things don't go really well. I try to weather both successes and disappointments with equal grace."

Well, it's easy to be graceful when you've got a little something called "The Shawshank Redemption" on your resume.

Even though Darabont's Indy 4 didn't get the thumbs up it may have deserved, life goes on.  Frank Darabont has quite a career and has a lot to be proud of.  And elsewhere in the world, George Lucas and an unnamed writer are in the midst of scribing the 4th Indiana Jones script which is said to be going into production sometime in early 2005.  Stay tuned to TIE.c for the latest!

Thanks to FourTales for the news! 

Universal Purchases Rights to Indy Spoof
October 6th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

According to Variety, Universal Studios has purchased the rights to an adventure comedy film called Delaware McChoad.  The film is about a "wealthy but inept archaeologist who searches for artifacts nobody wants."

The writer, Josh Greenberg, has just recently sold his story to Universal where The Mummy creators, Stephen Sommers and Bob Ducsay will produce the film.  No director has been attached to the film yet, but here's a quick synopsis of what the pic is all about:

"Josh worked out a story filled with gags that poke fun at the types of films we've made," said Ducsay, adding, "we love the idea of approaching this world from a completely different angle."

And what better way to do it than to parody Indiana Jones?  Sounds like an interesting story, we'll have to keep an eye on this.  Check out Variety to read the full story and stay tuned to TIE.c for the latest!

Big thanks to Jen for the news!

Harrison Ford Ordered Not to Exercise for Indiana Jones 4?
October 6th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

According to a report posted on Female First, Harrison Ford has been given strict instructions not to go crazy exercising for Indiana Jones 4.  It seems that Steven Spielberg isn't wanting Harrison Ford to look too buff for Indy 4 to coincide with Indy's natural aging.  Here's a quote from a "movie insider" posted by Female First:

"Steven doesn't want a middle-aged guy trying to look young he wants to bring a new type of hero to the screen.  He's going to be older and wiser and a lot less physical than Indy of old."

This report makes sense, Indiana Jones 4 is set in the 1950's so they don't want a fit, young Indiana Jones, they want the real life Indiana Jones.  And if this is indeed true, it looks like Indy will be using his wits more in this film.  It's also interesting to point out that the story on Female First mentions that Indiana Jones 4 is set to begin filming in January 2005.  While Spielberg has expressed his hopes to film in early 2005, this information is not official and it can change.  Stay tuned to TIE.c for the latest!

Thanks to Eddie for the news!

An Amazing Story: Harrison Ford in Water to Wine
October 5th, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

I just received an email from Chris Strompolos who had a very cool story to share.  While Chris Strompolos, Eric Zala and Jayson Lamb were in Idaho for the Spudfest screening of Raiders of the Lost Ark: the Adaptation where they met a guy named Willie McMillon.

Willie is the owner of a snowboarding company called Bluebird Wax, a favorite among the world's top snowboarders who all know Willie and often visit Idaho and Wyoming to hang out and partake in some good snowboarding.

Well, it turns out Willie made a snowboarding documentary called Water to Wine with a light narrative.  The film is about a kid who is the top snowboarder in the world until one day he gets put in jail.  When he is released, he's picked up by all the other top snowboarders in the world in a party van.  So to celebrate, they all go up the mountain the van for a snowboard party.  All of the snowboarders in the film are real guys and the story is true.  But that's just half of it.

Guess who the driver of the van is, hanging out with these snowboarders and knows all of the cool "snowboarder" handshakes?

Harrison Ford.  That's right, the man himself.  How did this happen?  Well, according to Chris, Harrison's son, Malcolm loves snowboarding.  And of course Harrison's ranch is in Wyoming as well as Willie's company.  So Willie asked Malcolm if his father would be in the movie and Harrison said yes, as long as he would only go by the name of Jethro!

Who would have thought?  And all this time we thought we knew Harrison Ford's films pretty well!  Leave it to Harrison Ford to do something like this out of the kindness of his heart.  This is definitely something all Ford fans will want to have, and you can purchase the Water to Wine DVD at Bluebird Wax.com.  There you will find all sorts of Bluebird Wax merchandise as well as production photos from Water to Wine featuring "Jethro" himself.

A big thanks to Chris Strompolos for the story and of course thanks to Willie!

Spielberg Hopes to film Indy 4 in 2005!
October 3rd, 2004 | Posted by Aaron

Steven Spielberg gave an exclusive interview Laurent Weil on the French TV channel Canal + where he confirmed his next three film projects.  Among those three projects was Indiana Jones 4 and Spielberg stated that he is hoping to start filming Indy 4 in 2005!  Here's what JWFan.net posted:

• War of the Worlds (shooting starts next November)
• Indiana Jones IV (sheduled to start shooting at the beginning of 2005!)
• A "political" movie, which he did not wish to talk about (Mossad?)

JWFan.net also stated that Spielberg seemed optimistic about Indy 4 and I honestly think we could see the fourth Indy film go into production next year.  George Lucas has expressed hopes to begin production on Indiana Jones 4 next year and now Steven Spielberg has also expressed the same desire.  Things are looking good!  Stay tuned to TIE.c for the latest!

Thanks to Eddie for the news!