Set in 1957, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull<\/em> finds a now older Indy (Harrison Ford) searching for a lost treasure in the South American jungle, partnering with his estranged son (Shia LaBeouf) and his former lover (Karen Allen). Released to mixed reviews in 2008, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull<\/em> remains one of the more polarizing entries in Indiana Jones\u2019<\/em> canon, with many viewers taking issue with its sci-fi elements and action (especially the infamous scene where Indy survives a nuclear explosion by hiding in a refrigerator).<\/p>\n Though controversial among fans, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull<\/em> still boasts several interesting tidbits of information associated with its production. From discarded scripts to fascinating casting notes, here are some of the most intriguing behind-the-scenes facts about Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.<\/em><\/p>\n As with every Indiana Jones<\/em> movie that came before it, Harrison Ford insisted he performs as many of his own stunts on Indiana Jones and the<\/em> Kingdom of the Crystal Skull<\/em> as possible, despite being 66 years old. As it happened, Ford had kept in such stellar shape since his previous work on The Last Crusade, and he<\/em> did so without much fuss.<\/p>\n To better prepare himself for the film, he spent an average of three hours a day at the gym, relying on a hearty diet of fish and vegetables to improve his physique. The regimen worked so well that the costuming department found Ford had the same size proportions as his earlier measurements on The Last Crusade.<\/em><\/p>\n Given the 20-year time lapse between the making of The Last Crusade<\/em> and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull<\/em>, many tools in the world of filmmaking had changed in the interim since the previous Indiana Jones<\/em> adventure, including new developments in stunt performances. Despite new safety requirements used on modern film lots, Harrison Ford insisted on wielding his character\u2019s iconic bullwhip himself, overruling Paramount\u2019s objections to the idea.<\/p>\n During the movie\u2019s pre-production phase, Paramount suggested using a CGI whip instead of Indiana\u2019s actual bullwhip. Ford \u2013 who\u2019s always preferred practical effects over CG \u2013 called the suggestion \u201cridiculous,\u201d training with the bullwhip for two weeks ahead of the movie\u2019s production.<\/p>\n Harrison Ford has always owned up to his age whenever he appears on screen. Rather than looking at it as something to be ashamed of, he prefers addressing it in the open, showing that people of advanced ages can still maintain their mental and physical faculties. With that in mind, Harrison Ford insisted the script include a more nuanced exploration of Ford\u2019s age in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom<\/em> of the Crystal Skull<\/em>, even asking the screenwriter, David Koepp, to throw in a few more jokes regarding Indy\u2019s expense.<\/p>\n Agreeing with Ford\u2019s stance, Steven Spielberg also saw the potential for comedic quips to be inserted surrounding Indy\u2019s age. \u201cWhen a guy gets to be that age, and he still packs the same punch, and he still runs just as fast and climbs just as high, he’s gonna be breathing a little heavier at the end of the set piece,\u201d said Spielberg. \u201cAnd I felt, \u2018Let’s have some fun with that. Let’s not hide that.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n After being dismissed from Marshall College, Indiana heads home and begins packing his bags, intent on leaving the U.S. and continuing his career in Europe. As he prepares to depart, he muses on photos of Marcus Brody \u2013 his former employer and close friend \u2013 and his father, Henry, who passed away before the film’s events. As emotional as this scene is, a few other characters from the Indiana Jones<\/em> series also appear in photos, albeit in a less prominent capacity as Marcus and Henry\u2019s pictures.<\/p>\n In the background of Indiana\u2019s house (shown in his scenes with Charlie and, later, Mutt), viewers can spot a few familiar faces from Indiana\u2019s past adventures abroad. On the fireplace mantel is a photo of Sallah, Indy\u2019s faithful companion in Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Last Crusade,<\/em> and Dial of Destiny<\/em>. On a small table is a photo of Henry and a young Indiana (River Phoenix, who played the character in the opening of The Last Crusade<\/em>). And on the cupboard is a signed photo of Willie Scott, Indiana\u2019s shrieking love interest in Temple of Doom.<\/em><\/p>\n Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull<\/em> distinguishes itself by featuring the first overarching connection to a previous Indiana Jones<\/em> film, tying Indy\u2019s romance with Marion in Raiders of the Lost Ark<\/em> into the plot. In the film’s early production stages, however, additional references to Indy\u2019s past adventures were also planned, including a variety of cameos from former Indiana Jones<\/em> cast members.<\/p>\n Sean Connery, in particular, was offered the chance to reprise his role as Indiana\u2019s father, Henry Jones Sr., in a small cameo. After reviewing the script, Connery felt the character\u2019s limited screen time was inconsequential to the film’s plot, saying, \u201cIt was not that generous a part. And they had taken the story in a different line anyway, so the father of Indy was kind of really not that important.\u201d<\/p>\n John Rhys-Davies, who played Sallah in Raiders of the Lost Ark<\/em> and The Last Crusade<\/em>, also decided against a cameo, feeling the character deserved a more prominent role. As Rhys-Davies recalled, \u201cI was going to sit down, and then it would cut it into the wedding or something like Indy getting an award or something like that. I thought the character of Sallah is worth more to the audience than that.\u201d<\/p>\n Throughout most of the Indiana Jones <\/em>series, Steven Spielberg has habitually included easter eggs in past films he and George Lucas both worked on. In the case of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, <\/em>a few classic Star Wars<\/em> characters appear in the lost city of Akator alongside a familiar face from one of Spielberg\u2019s most famous films.<\/p>\n As Indiana and his companions traverse the mysterious South American temples of Akator, eagle-eyed viewers might notice the distinct designs etched into each tile on the temples\u2019 walls. It might be difficult to see, but one of these tiles features the engravings of R2-D2 and C-3PO, the bickering droid duo who appear in every one of George Lucas\u2019s six Star Wars films. A tile featuring the likeness of the title character in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial<\/em> also appears, further alluding to the alien motifs of Indiana Jones and the <\/em>Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.<\/em><\/p>\n Though Shia LaBeouf jumped at the chance to work with his self-professed idol Steven Spielberg, the press junket for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull <\/em>proved harmful to the actor and director\u2019s relationship. After the film was released, LaBeouf admitted to feeling responsible for the movie\u2019s lesser quality compared to the first three films, saying in an interview with The Los Angeles Times,<\/em> \u201cI feel like I dropped the ball on the legacy that people loved and cherished.\u201d<\/p>\n In response to these comments, LaBeouf said his friendship with Spielberg suffered. \u201cHe told me there\u2019s a time to be a human being and have an opinion, and there\u2019s a time to sell cars,\u201d LaBeouf reflected. \u201cIt brought me freedom, but it also killed my spirits because this was a dude I looked up to like a sensei.\u201d<\/p>\n Partway through the movie\u2019s opening act, Indiana meets Mutt Williams, the \u201850s greaser he later learns is his son, Henry Jones III. Although Indiana expresses skepticism regarding Mutt\u2019s nickname, the moniker references a long-standing tradition within the Indiana Jones<\/em> universe.<\/p>\n In almost every Indiana Jones<\/em> movie, a character named after a principal crew member\u2019s dog appears in the film. Indiana\u2019s name was taken from George Lucas\u2019s Alaskan Malamute. Willie Scott\u2019s first name was borrowed from Steven Spielberg\u2019s Cocker Spaniel. Temple of Doom<\/em> screenwriter Willard Huyck\u2019s pet dog inspired Short Round’s name. Seeing as \u201cmutt\u201d is an informal term for a dog of mixed breeds, Mutt\u2019s nickname can be a reference to his mixed parentage. The character\u2019s last name, Williams, is taken from John Williams, a frequent collaborator of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, and the man behind Indiana Jones and the <\/em>Kingdom of the Crystal Skull<\/em>\u2019s soundtrack.<\/p>\n With the original three Indiana Jones<\/em> movies, George Lucas drew inspiration from the Republic B-serials of his youth, channeling his love for the niche adventure subgenre in creating the story and atmosphere of the initial trilogy. Given the new time lapse between The Last Crusade<\/em> and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull<\/em>, however, Lucas found it fitting to explore a new genre synonymous with the 1950s \u2013 that genre being the sci-fi film (like The Thing From Another World, It Came From Outer Space,<\/em> and Invaders From Mars<\/em>).<\/p>\n \u201cIt was the idea of taking the genre from the 1930s action adventure serials to the B science fiction movies of the early \u201850s,\u201d said Lucas. \u201cAnd I said if we move the whole thing into the \u201850s, which would be age appropriate for Harrison, that would be the cinematic equivalent, and I wanted to rest it on a cinematic antecedent like we did with the other one.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite Lucas and Harrison Ford\u2019s enthusiasm for the project, Steven Spielberg hesitated to return to the Indiana Jones<\/em> series, feeling the character\u2019s journey had concluded with The Last Crusade<\/em>. After much convincing from Lucas, Spielberg agreed to return to the series. Even as he signed onto the project, Spielberg expressed uncertainty regarding the movie\u2019s inclusion of aliens as its main plot point.<\/p>\n According to Spielberg, when the idea was first broached in the 1990s, Spielberg felt the alien invasion film had been perfected by Roland Emmerich\u2019s blockbuster smash hit, Independence Day<\/em>. After Lucas persisted in pursuing the idea, Spielberg relented, going along with Lucas\u2019s aspirations to introduce aliens in the film. Years later, Spielberg admitted the full extent of his indifference to the sci-fi elements of the movie. \u201cI didn\u2019t want these things to be either aliens or inter-dimensional beings. But I am loyal to my best friend. When he writes a story he believes in \u2013 even if I don\u2019t believe in it \u2013 I\u2019m going to shoot the movie the way George envisaged it,\u201d said Spielberg.<\/p>\n Unlike previous Indiana Jones<\/em> movies, where Lucas and Spielberg deliberated on several potential MacGuffins to use in Indiana Jones IV,<\/em> Lucas had always settled on incorporating aliens early in the film\u2019s production. As a result, most of the scripts written for Indiana Jones IV<\/em> featured overarching similarities, with the final film condensing the various drafts into one cohesive movie.<\/p>\n The first draft of the script was written by The Fugitive<\/em>\u2019s screenwriter Jeb Stuart in 1993. Titled Indiana Jones and the Saucerman from Mars<\/em>, it featured many elements later used in Indiana Jones and the <\/em>Kingdom of the Crystal Skull<\/em>, including Soviet antagonists, the Nuketown sequence, a tropical jungle, and Indiana Jones getting married at the film’s end. The second draft, penned by The Last Crusade<\/em> writer Jeffrey Boam, was completed in 1995 and included aliens, Indiana Jones\u2019 son (named Abner in honor of Indiana\u2019s mentor, Abner Ravenwood), and a reintroduced Marion Ravenwood. Frank Darabont wrote the third draft, featuring Marion and Harold Oxley, with Indiana\u2019s son absent from the story. In the mid-2000s, David Koepp used these drafts to form the backbone for his script, with Spielberg, Koepp, and Lucas settling on the title Indiana Jones and the <\/em>Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.<\/em><\/p>\n In earlier script drafts, Mutt Williams had a much different conception than the tough-talking greaser who later appeared in the film. In Jeffrey Boam\u2019s 1995 draft of Indiana Jones IV<\/em>, Mutt\u2019s character was introduced as a bookish teenager named Abner, embodying the academic side of the Jones family tree (something that can be best seen with Indiana Jones\u2019 father, Henry).<\/p>\n Though screenwriter David Koeep liked making Mutt a stereotypical \u201850s nerd, George Lucas decided against it. He wanted to make Mutt more brash and rebellious, paralleling Indy\u2019s dynamic with his father. In The Complete Making of Indiana Jones<\/em>, Lucas says, \u201c[Mutt] needs to be what Henry Jones, Sr. thought of his son, and the curse returns to Indiana in the form of his own son. He’s everything a father can’t stand!”<\/p>\n Having wanted to play a villain for years, Cate Blanchett joined the cast of Indiana Jones<\/em> when she was offered the part of Dr. Irina Spalko, the film’s main antagonist. To preserve an aura of mystery and eccentricity around her character, Blanchett proved elusive on the film set \u2013 so much so that Harrison Ford himself had trouble recognizing Blanchett out of costume.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo weeks into the movie, I’d only seen her in costume,\u201d Harrison remembered. \u201cShe showed up one morning [in ordinary clothing] ’cause she wasn’t working till later in the day, and I said, \u2018Who’s that?\u2019\u201d Ford, who had never met Blanchett before filming, admitted that he was impressed with Blanchett\u2019s ability to disappear into her role as Spalko. \u201cThere’s no aspect of her behavior that was not consistent with this bizarre person she’s playing,\u201d he observed.<\/p>\n Spielberg and Lucas have always found a way to weave autobiographical elements into many of their films. In the case of Indiana Jones<\/em>, the two are known for sprinkling in references to each of their youths. For example, the opening chapter of The Last Crusade<\/em> was modeled after Spielberg\u2019s time with the Boy Scouts, hence Indiana\u2019s involvement in the group early on in his life.<\/p>\n When it came time for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom<\/em> of the Crystal Skull, <\/em>Spielberg chose to incorporate elements of Lucas\u2019s own life and personal interests into the prologue of the movie. Given Lucas\u2019s avid interest in cars and street racing (two things that pop up in Lucas\u2019s iconic teen movie, American Graffiti<\/em>), Spielberg decided to include a \u201850s drag race in the film’s first five minutes.<\/p>\n While Sean Connery chose not to reprise his role as the taciturn Henry Jones Sr., a few references are made to Indy\u2019s father throughout the film. As mentioned, a picture of Henry appears in Indiana\u2019s study, leading Indiana to reminisce about his father to his friend and former employer, Charlie. In addition to this homage, the movie makes a few more references to the character.<\/p>\n Keeping in line with the idea that Indiana has inherited an estranged parental role to Mutt, Indiana adopts a handful of phrases favored by his father. This includes referring to Mutt as \u201cJunior\u201d \u2013 the go-to nickname Henry Sr. bestowed upon his son. In the diner scene when they first meet, Indiana also criticizes Mutt\u2019s name, commenting, \u201cWhat kind of a name is Mutt?\u201d This feels like an homage to The Last Crusade<\/em>\u2019s ending, which sees Henry chastise Indiana for taking their pet dog\u2019s name as his own. As they escape the Soviet camp in South America, Indiana can also be heard muttering, \u201cThis is intolerable!\u201d another oft-used expression uttered by his father.<\/p>\nHarrison Ford Performed Many of His Own Stunts<\/h2>\n
![\"Harrison](\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMG_6416.jpeg\")
Harrison Ford Insisted on Using His Iconic Whip Himself<\/h2>\n
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Harrison Ford Wanted To Insert More Jokes About Indy\u2019s Age<\/h2>\n
![\"Indiana](\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Indiana-Jones-and-the-Kingdom-of-the-Crystal-Skull.jpg\")
Indiana\u2019s Photo Collection Includes a Few Familiar Faces<\/h2>\n
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Certain Characters Were Offered Cameos for The Movie<\/h2>\n
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Fan-Favorite Characters From Star Wars and ET Make an Appearance<\/h2>\n
![\"E.T.](\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMG_6420.jpeg\")
Shia Labeouf Had a Falling Out With Steven Spielberg After Filming<\/h2>\n
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Mutt\u2019s Name Keeps in Line With a Series Tradition<\/h2>\n
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George Lucas Modeled The Film After Classic Sci-Fi Films<\/h2>\n
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Steven Spielberg Was Skeptical About The Movie\u2019s Focus on Aliens<\/h2>\n
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The Finished Film Combined Multiple Drafts of The Script<\/h2>\n
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Mutt Was Planned To Be a Stereotypical Nerd<\/h2>\n
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Harrison Ford and Cate Blanchett First Met in Character<\/h2>\n
![\"Cate](\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMG_6424.jpeg\")
The Movie\u2019s Opening Sequence Is an Homage to George Lucas\u2019s Youth<\/h2>\n
![\"Indiana](\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/IMG_4255.jpeg\")
A Few Vocal References Are Made to Sean Connery<\/h2>\n
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