When did KOTCS begin shooting?

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ethanedwards

New member
Hi All,

I have a question maybe you can help me with.

When did KOTCS begin shooting? With all the different scripts and secrets does anyone remember at what point the team of Spielberg and Lucas finalized the script we now know to be KOTCS and then begin to make the film?

There were so many different options like "Saucer Men" and "Monkey King" - when did they come to the conclusion that "Crystal Skull" was the way to go?

Thanks
 
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Udvarnoky

Well-known member
"Saucer Men" from 1995 is the earliest of the publicly known Indy4 screenplays. The Monkey King script is actually a rejected draft for Indy3, before Spielberg and Lucas decided to make it about the holy grail.

Anyway, the official announcement about Indiana Jones 4 happening was made somewhere around December 06/January 07, and the movie began principal photography in June 07. I know they were still working with Koepp on his final draft throughout late 2006, so the final greenlight was made somewhere around the end of the year I'd imagine. I've also heard that Koepp was doing rewrites during production. I've also heard rumors that the then impending Writers Strike was a factor in why Koepp's script was signed off on when it was, but there may not be anything to that.
 
Crack that whip

Crack that whip

New member
Hi, ethanedwards. According to press releases on the official site, the movie began principal photography on June 18, 2007. This of course followed months of preparation (casting, production design, location scouting, set construction, etc.), so obviously they didn't settle on a script the week before.

The first official announcement for the fourth movie was made January 2, 2007, after the principals (Lucas, Spielberg, Ford) decided upon the script in late 2006. As you probably know it was something being pursued on and off for many years, with all the scripts that were commissioned, written and rejected at various times; what looks to me like a good summation of it can be found in the book The Complete Making of Indiana Jones, from pages 230 to 238. You might want to take a look at that.
 
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ethanedwards

New member
Thanks this info is great -

When do you think they had the idea to use a "Crystal Skull" -???

So, you think they knew the Mcguffen was the "Crystal Skull" back in 2006?
 
The Man

The Man

Well-known member
ethanedwards said:
Thanks this info is great -

When do you think they had the idea to use a "Crystal Skull" -???

So, you think they knew the Mcguffen was the "Crystal Skull" back in 2006?
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Lucas had pretty much decided on crystal skulls in the early '90's.
 
The Man

The Man

Well-known member
ethanedwards said:
'cause they kept that secret pretty damn well for a long time.
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Lucas himself has stated that his inspiration for a fourth movie came when he discovered the legend of the crystal skulls while making the Young Indy show in the early '90's. All that followed was procrastination and intransigence. It was always going to be the skull - and nothing else.
 
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Udvarnoky

Well-known member
The Man said:
Lucas had pretty much decided on crystal skulls in the early '90's.
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Well, he may have had an interest in crystal skulls since the early 90s, but I don't think it became the artifact of the fourth movie until later on. Obviously if it was meant to be the artifact in the early 90s the Saucer Men script would have featured them. The way I read it the decision to include crystal skulls was a major turning point that happened further on down the line. We know the Darabont drafts (2003) included it but which scripts before that?

The Man said:
It was always going to be the skull - and nothing else.
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I really don't think that's true. It was always going to involve aliens, but the crystal skull notion (at least for this movie...obviously Lucas had it on his mind for the unfilmed Young Indy episode and the Disneyland ride) came later. In fact, I thought that was the big breakthrough that got Ford and Spielberg behind the project in a way that they hadn't before, because the skull rooted the movie in traditional archeology stuff that let them tie into the conquistadors and Nazca lines and whatnot, rather than it being a no-holds-bar alien spaceship movie, which it sounds like Lucas originally wanted.
 
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ethanedwards

New member
Udvarnoky said:
"Saucer Men" from 1995 is the earliest of the publicly known Indy4 screenplays.

But "Saucer Men" was not about "Crystal Skulls" right - so how would they have decided on it in the 90's

I am confused.
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Udvarnoky

Well-known member
ethanedwards said:
Darabont had it in 2003? - I did not know that.

How can we be sure?
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In addition to the script having been leaked, the official making of book has a handy list of dates for the various scripts for the movie. As "Crack that whip" said it's an interesting read and you may want to pick it up, or skim through it next time you're at the bookstore.

The Man said:
It was ALWAYS going to be the skull - and nothing else.
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So I guess Lucas paid Jeb Stuart to write that Saucer Men screenplay for ****s and giggles.
 
The Man

The Man

Well-known member
Udvarnoky said:
So I guess Lucas paid Jeb Stuart to write that Saucer Men screenplay for ****s and giggles.
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Sometimes you guys truly crack me up. It's as if you know nothing about George Lucas. I repeat for the final time: it was ALWAYS going to be the skull...*





*I, of course, have no proof of this...other than the fact that Indy 4 was about the skull...
 
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ethanedwards

New member
O.K. - leaked after the movie came out.


What are the dates in this book? Anyone have it for a timeline?

Thanks
 
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ethanedwards

New member
But Koepp and Lucas received "Story By" credits... so who originally came up with the idea of "Crystal Skulls"

Was is Lucas, Koepp, or Darabont????????

And when?
 
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