IndyBuff said:It's been clear to me for years that Spielberg doesn't hold Indy in as high a priority as he used to. If this film, along with KOTCS, had really been a priority then we would have had them many years ago.
Not really true. When KOTCS was made, George Lucas owned the IP. If Lucas said no to an idea, Spielberg had to accept it. KOTCS took so long to make because Lucas and Spielberg couldn't come to an agreement on a script, and also Spielberg had to make compromises to get KOTCS made IE he wouldn't do an alien story outright (the original 1995 script is basically a total sci-fi movie) but the Skull angle, and the search for the Lost City angle, put enough of an Indy feel to it for him to do it. But ulimately Lucas had final say over everything. Spielberg was ready to do it in around 2002 or so - when the City of Gods script was written - Lucas said no to that script so it was back to the drawing board.
As far as this film, Lucas sold it in 2012 and Disney only greenlit a new Indy film last year.
Spielberg has never had any legal controlling interest in Indy. The fact that Lucas even allowed him the freedoms he had creatively was because of their friendship. Lucas/Disney own the franchise and make the call to him and tell him they want to do another Indy movie. Not the other way around.
If Spielberg had been okay with a totally sci-fi Indy movie, we would've had Indy 4 in 1996 or 1997. If Lucas hadn't been so stubborn about the script, we would've had one in 2004 or 2005.