The Frank Darabont Script

The Man

Well-known member
If Darabont's draft was so similar to what Koepp eventually cobbled together, what was the deal-breaker for Lucas?
 

agentsands77

New member
The Man said:
If Darabont's draft was so similar to what Koepp eventually cobbled together, what was the deal-breaker for Lucas?
It's an interesting question. I wish Lucas would answer it, given that much has been made over that conflict.
 

indytim

Member
sandiegojones said:
The best parts of TOD were based on left over ideas Lucas had for Raiders (the musical opening and fight, raft jump and the mine cart chase).
I believe the mine chase was actually Lawrence Kasdan's idea. He confirmed this in an interview with Starlog. In the same interview he also said how in his original script the head piece of the Staff of Ra was in two pieces - Marion had one and a Chinese warlord had the other. Indy had to break into the warlord's private museum to steal it and in a fight scene he cuts down a large gong with a sword, and then uses it for cover from machine gun fire as it rolls along the ground. Obviosuly this idea was also carried over to Temple of Doom.
agentsands77 said:
It's an interesting question. I wish Lucas would answer it, given that much has been made over that conflict.
Maybe it was that the Darabont script supposedly featured Indy's brother, not his son. If Darabont wasn't prepared to continue to write a script or rewrite his existing script to incorporate a new Indy Jnr (as opposed to a brother) then a 'clash of the titans' situation brewed up and Darabont walked away.
The Man said:
If Darabont's draft was so similar to what Koepp eventually cobbled together, what was the deal-breaker for Lucas?
As mentioned in my post above, I bet it was reworking the extended Jones family to now include a son (which I would think was Lucas' idea) as opposed to the rumoured brother (of Indy) that featured in Darabont's script.
 
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Agent Z

Active member
Isn't the current Kingdom a composite of several scripts? At least three different scripts?

Kevin Costner as alcoholic Indy brother = comic gold?
 

agentsands77

New member
indytim said:
Maybe it was that the Darabont script supposedly featured Indy's brother, not his son.
I've never heard a legitimate source claim that to be the case. If there is one, I've missed it... generally I thought that was just speculation due to the rumors that arose around the same time.
 

The Man

Well-known member
indytim said:
Maybe it was that the Darabont script supposedly featured Indy's brother, not his son. If Darabont wasn't prepared to continue to write a script or rewrite his existing script to incorporate a new Indy Jnr (as opposed to a brother) then a 'clash of the titans' situation brewed up and Darabont walked away.

That could well be it. Darabont made a point of stating that Mutt was none of his doing.
 

agentsands77

New member
Agent Z said:
Isn't the current Kingdom a composite of several scripts? At least three different scripts?
Jeb Stuart's INDIANA JONES AND THE SAUCER MEN FROM MARS, Frank Darabont's INDIANA JONES AND THE CITY OF THE GODS, and Jeff Nathanson's draft (whatever title it went under - probably just INDY IV at that point).
 

The Man

Well-known member
agentsands77 said:
Jeb Stuart's INDIANA JONES AND THE SAUCER MEN FROM MARS, Frank Darabont's INDIANA JONES AND THE CITY OF THE GODS, and Jeff Nathanson's draft (whatever title it went under - probably just INDY IV at that point).

At what point did M. Night Shyamalan enter the field. Was it before Darabont?
 

Agent Z

Active member
agentsands77 said:
Jeb Stuart's INDIANA JONES AND THE SAUCER MEN FROM MARS, Frank Darabont's INDIANA JONES AND THE CITY OF THE GODS, and Jeff Nathanson's draft (whatever title it went under - probably just INDY IV at that point).

Thanks! Man, one day all of these will leak, damnit! *evil laughter*


The Man said:
At what point did M. Night Shyamalan enter the field. Was it before Darabont?

I have heard that rumor of the M. Night script shot down from so many credible sources (like Moriarty at AICN) that I give it no street cred whatsoever. Pure urban legend.
 

indytim

Member
Agent Z said:
Isn't the current Kingdom a composite of several scripts? At least three different scripts? Kevin Costner as alcoholic Indy brother = comic gold?

I remember reading a newspaper story back in January 1990 that stated that Kevin Costner (who was hot property back then) was in talks with Lucasfilm about the possibility of him playing Indy's deep-sea diver brother working in the Mediterranean :confused:
 

nitzsche

New member
Where did I read that Darabont's draft puts Indy in situations where his age factors more and he's less effective in a fight and Lucas wanted Indy to be involved in more compelling action?

I think Lucas needed more action for Indy than Darabont's draft offered. He had mentioned that Darabont had Indy mostly driving around.

KotCS does have many scenes where Indy is behind the wheel, but it does add a few fist fights as well.

Lucas always seems to object to scripts that slow the action - he seems to be the guy that wants to amp the action where Spielberg wants to amp the character relationships.
 

The Man

Well-known member
Agent Z said:
Thanks! Man, one day all of these will leak, damnit! *evil laughter*




I have heard that rumor of the M. Night script shot down from so many credible sources (like Moriarty at AICN) that I give it no street cred whatsoever. Pure urban legend.


Harrison Ford is on record - I think in an Empire interview - that Night did pitch in at some stage but Spielberg and Lucas "failed to cater to him". He also mentioned that Shyamalan's office is spotless, like a clinic.
 

indytim

Member
The Man said:
Harrison Ford is on record - I think in an Empire interview - that Night did pitch in at some stage but Spielberg and Lucas "failed to cater to him". He also mentioned that Shyamalan's office is spotless, like a clinic.

So what was his pitch ... 'Indiana Jones and the Twist at the End'? Everything he's ever done plays out like a big-budget episode of the Twilight Zone. I loved The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable but he does seem to be something of a 'one-trick pony' :sleep:
 

The Man

Well-known member
indytim said:
So what was his pitch ... 'Indiana Jones and the Twist at the End'? Everything he's ever done plays out like a big-budget episode of the Twilight Zone. I loved The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable but he does seem to be something of a 'one-trick pony' :sleep:


The twist? Indy died in the Hovitos Temple...;)
 

Agent Z

Active member
indytim said:
I remember reading a newspaper story back in January 1990 that stated that Kevin Costner (who was hot property back then) was in talks with Lucasfilm about the possibility of him playing Indy's deep-sea diver brother working in the Mediterranean :confused:

Yeah, I heard Costner was going to play his long-lost (estranged?) alcoholic brother and that would be the team-up. So many rumors flying around though, it's tough to know which particulars of these scripts, if any, are true.


The Man said:
Harrison Ford is on record - I think in an Empire interview - that Night did pitch in at some stage but Spielberg and Lucas "failed to cater to him". He also mentioned that Shyamalan's office is spotless, like a clinic.

Ahhh, so at least a pitch, although I guess it never got to a submitted script stage then, apparently.
 

Jones_Happens

New member
Who exactly is Jeff Nathanson and how does he factor into all of this? I know he and Lucas are credited for the "story" while Koepp gets sole writing credit.
 

nitzsche

New member
I'm not sure, but my guess is that Jeff Nathanson's contribution to the story was piecing together the Skull narrative from a broad outline by Lucas. He probably did the research about the legend and the ancient astronaut theories and came up with the story background.
 

torao

Moderator Emeritus
M.Night:
We already talked a bit about Shyamalan's alleged contribution in this thread a while back. I always interpreted the news stories and interview snippets the way that Shyamalan never even wrote a draft (because he doesn't want to do other people's material). I think those stories made it quite clear that they never surpassed the "talking" stage. And yeah, Agent Z, Mori's recent comments were also a confirmation for me.


Nathanson (who was the writer for CATCH ME IF YOU CAN which is probably why Spielberg thought of him in the first place):
http://raven.theraider.net/showthread.php?p=270141#post270141
http://raven.theraider.net/showthread.php?p=223022#post223022

To anyone, curious about all the Indy IV drafts, joining us just now: The Raider.net's news archives are a really entertaining read. (Although this thread -at times- happens to be a good archive of information as well.)
 

Moedred

Administrator
Staff member
torao said:
the skull making all the animal and insect life bigger - a giant snake swallows him whole and Indy cuts his way out
I have heard this before. But enlargement power is just silly.
Great find torao, the dam is starting to crack!
 

protocida

New member
Kevin Costner as Indiana Jones Brother showed up in ''Indiana Jones and the sons of Darkness'', a scrip apparentelly wrote by Jeffrey Boam.

The plot showed Indy reuniting with Marion and Sallah when Indy's little son, Abner, runs away from Marion to find the father and end up being held by a russian terrorist that wants to retreive a skull hide in Noah's Ark, that belong to the son of darkness, a devilish creature that was ''rebuilt'' by the sons of the darkness, a cult, with rests of other criminals. Only a pure kid, like Abner, can find the Skull and get it without being cursed.

Among other things, Indy unites to Stalin to survive a nuclear blast caused by the villain, after Indy destroys the semi-formed Son of the darkness's body with dynamite.
 
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