Reboot - Demographics and Market Landscape

Joe Brody

Well-known member
Discussions in the Comic Con thread and the success of the recent Marvel super hero films (Captain America, Thor and even X-Men given that it is a #4 sequel) got me to thinking. Given the dominance of the super hero films and films like the Transformers in the younger end of the action/adventure space, coupled with franchises like Batman and James Bond being rebooted and skewed to the older end of the audience, did the powers that be make a major misstep in continuing the Indiana Jones franchise on the younger, family friendly trajectory established in Last Crusade? Looking back now and seeing the success of the Marvel formula -- and even seeing Disney skewing its live action films to an older audience -- should KoTCS have been targeted to an older audience? And if the Indiana Jones franchise were to be rebooted where should it be targeted?
 

Moedred

Administrator
Staff member
I asked in my interview of Leland Chee about Lucasfilm policy: "we don't reboot." I was referring to all those other franchises but he thought I was discerning between the Lucasverse and his expanded universe(s). Anyway, I think Lucas likes get it right the first time and move on. Maybe his last will and testament will command otherwise.
 
Joe Brody said:
...did the powers that be make a major misstep in continuing the Indiana Jones franchise on the younger, family friendly trajectory established in Last Crusade?
Yes, though you might find the seeds of this in Temple as well.

Joe Brody said:
Looking back now and seeing the success of the Marvel formula -- and even seeing Disney skewing its live action films to an older audience -- should KoTCS have been targeted to an older audience? And if the Indiana Jones franchise were to be rebooted where should it be targeted?
If its rebooted inside the next ten years it will be homginized, tamed. Eventually you'll see the revolution lash back at the current tepid political correctness as a loss of emotion and identity.

But then again I don't expect it to be rebooted.

Turn the world into a village and all that's left is petty gossip. You may as well put Indiana Jones underneath a beehive hairdryer snacking on bon bons and talking his next adventure escaping Layne Bryant at the Mall.

One of the reasons Star Wars worked is that Luke was the age children idolized as freedom and adults remembered as freedom...reverting to childhood made the prequels like babysitting.

While The Dark Knight might be woven a bit too tight for the kiddies, they'll have something to appreciate more as they grow older...I can't say I continue to appreciate any Tim Burton project besides Sleepy Hollow.

Captain America was softened for the international audience and it suffers for it. Skull was softened for the kiddies because they knew they had the nostagia factor built in...so they hedged their bets on the next generation.

They just lost too much in translation...should have stayed true to Raiders and let the audience rediscover it and appreciate it all the more.

Like they do Raiders.
 

Pale Horse

Moderator
Staff member
Lucasfilm and the Raiders of the Lost Arc

Indiana Jones should have never had a 3 movie character arc. Not if they wanted it to extend beyond it's years.

That is not to say a Hitchcockian Indy V wouldn't work. It's just that essentially, we're pigeon-holed into that only out at this point.

We now have an individual attached to the character, and we don't have the freedom of the idealistic character we know and love. In a way, with Harrison truly being Indy, (in a perfect story arc), it will be nearly impossible to relive the pulp nature of B-Serials as it was intended.
 

misteron

New member
Indy reboot

I hate to admit it, but I think it's time for a reboot.
I could really see Bradly Cooper (the hangover) play Indy perfectly!
 
misteron said:
I hate to admit it, but I think it's time for a reboot.
I could really see Bradly Cooper (the hangover) play Indy perfectly!
Where have you been?!! This is a GREAT idea!
For and Against a Reboot
INDY SERIES RE-BOOT??? Your thoughts...
Would you rather...
New Director?
Would you support a Bond-style re-cast of Indy after Kingdom?


Got it in before it closed!
 
Last edited:

misteron

New member
reboot

Rocket Surgeon said:
Where have you been?!! This is a GREAT idea!
For and Against a Reboot
INDY SERIES RE-BOOT??? Your thoughts...
Would you rather...
New Director?
Would you support a Bond-style re-cast of Indy after Kingdom?


Got it in before it closed!

Definitely a new cast (perhaps Harrison could make a cameo)
but keep the spirit of the original movies (perhaps one of the marvel comics stories, which were amazing!!)
 

Pale Horse

Moderator
Staff member
Joe Brody said:
And if the Indiana Jones franchise were to be rebooted where should it be targeted?

To the 18-34 demographic as is the original intent.

Wanna know how to do it, retain Harry, and go back it time? I'm serious here. It's actually very simple, and I've yet to see anyone here (or anywhere)suggest it. In fact, it's so simple, I should get a Gdamn V.I.P. parking spot here at the Raven.

Have Professor Jones doing academia in the current time 50's-60's. You know, that old professor gig. Hell, for kicks and giggles we could suggest a Brody type position at his Alma Mater. That's a hair campy, but the context will still work.

One day, while in class, teaching on Michaelson or something, (only now it's Chapters 10 and 11) some one, student or aide interrupts his lesson to ask him about his field work experiences. Here's the rub. Disney now inserts Hollywood's cliché of the eternal flashback and

BAM!...you have a new, younger model in a time previous and divergent from the Holy Grail of Indiana Jones film canon, yet existing as a fresh ground for new stories to be fleshed out of. By having the old established character introduce and approve of the new actor, you side-step with grace and class the jarring nature that new actors and reboots experience in other franchises.

I. Prelude
A. Old Indy Teaches new students in archeology
B. Old Indy Remembers Young Indy
C. Young Indy Takes the Reins​

II. Act I
A. The Garden of Eden
B. New Actress
C. Iconic Villian​

III. Act II
A. Boy Meets Girl
B. Boy Likes Girl
C. Conflict/Boy Loses Girl to Villian
D. Boy Loses direction
E. Boy Finds Motivation

IV. Act III
A. Boy Fights for Girl
B. Girl turns from Villan to Boy
C. Boy and Girl Fall in Love
D. Boy Becomes a Man and a Hero, cut to PRESENT

V. Act IV.
A. Indy now back in class, they're enthralled
B. Indy dismisses class
C. Indy goes into office and pulls relic off shelf
D. Fade out on old had morphing into young hand, pan up and see young actor again, from a previous iconic scene in the movie.​

VI. Act V.
A. Roll Credits
B. End Credits, cue Marvelesque spoiler to a new film with New Actor and new McGuffin​



The beauty of my genius that Harry could film 2/3 versions of this universe paralleling the worlds. That's smart money right there.

Time to Copyright this shiz....
 

mattzilla2010

New member
Bravo, Pale Horse! (y) That's one of the best, if not the best, fan Indy 5 idea I think I've seen.

I love Harrison, but I really don't know if I want to see a movie with a 71 year old Indy. I've recently been thinking that I would prefer a new actor. And I think this would be a great way to do it! (sans Marvelesque post-credits scene though, not too hot on that :p) It's a much better handing-over-the-reigns type of thing than, say, a series of Mutt films :eek:
 

Spurlock

New member
Good job Pale Horse, it's as if it came directly from a formula :p

One missing important part was an introductory conflict. All films have them, it'd only be right to continue the tradition. The way I see it, you could have an introductory adventure, and connect it to the prelude with Harry. Here's how I'd do it.

As Indy searches for whatever MacGuffin, along the liens of a golden idol, the conflict occurs before the discovery of the artifact. Bang bang, boom boom, heart pounded ensues. Due to the villain of this story's greed, he die, and Indy is left alone to uncover the artifact. Camera closes in on the face/details of the artifact and morphs into a chalkboard drawing, by the hands of Old Indy. Old Indy just finished telling the class a story about the artifact in reference to the material they were learning and they press him for more. That's where the rest comes in ;)
 

kongisking

Active member
Mods better not be able to contribute to the Indy 5 story contest. If they can, then we mortal folk are doomed to lose to Horse's brilliance.
 

Forbidden Eye

Well-known member
So Pale Horse's Indy idea is to give us an overlong episode of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles?

I think I'd prefer old Indy.
 

Indy's brother

New member
Forbidden Eye said:
So Pale Horse's Indy idea is to give us an overlong episode of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles?

I think I'd prefer old Indy.

Same here. It's a plausible type of move in an attempt to make everyone "happy"-ish, but I'm not crazy about turning Dr. Jones into Dr. Who.
 

Gear

New member
Indy's brother said:
It's a plausible type of move in an attempt to make everyone "happy"-ish, but I'm not crazy about turning Dr. Jones into Dr. Who.


I don't really see how that correlates, but maybe you guys are seeing something I'm not.

Remember, they took a very similar approach with the prelude in Last Crusade which connected us to the Dr. Jones of present (1938). Pale's approach seem to be this formula in reverse.

Besides, even if it's a bit out of step with the other four film stories, it could be great to shake up the routine a bit. Stagnation is death.
 

Pale Horse

Moderator
Staff member
I've never even seen Dr. Who.

I'm merely demonstrating how simple it can be to reboot the series, without causing a backlash and appease everyone in the process.

Appease. Remember, Old Archeologists don't die, they just go on to be with their mummies.
 

Indy's brother

New member
Ah, I misread your "Fade out" in Act IV. I thought you meant that Old Indy transforms into his youthful self after touching the relic, which made me elude to Dr. Who, who regenerates into new incarnations of himself. So basically, you want Indy 5 to be a George Hall episode of YIJC.
 

The Drifter

New member
Forbidden Eye said:
So Pale Horse's Indy idea is to give us an overlong episode of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles?

I think I'd prefer old Indy.

I like the idea, but it's been done (as you've mentioned) in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. But, at least it would have the connection to Ford there. And as Pale stated, it would sort of be easier to swallow seeing Ford 'passing the torch' so to speak to another actor on the big screen.
I dig it.
 
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