Hayden Christensen should play Young Indy!

I couldn't help but notice there is a 20 year gap between the ending of Young Indy 1920,-to the movies 1934, young Indy is not complete! Furthermore, has anyone noticed the resemblance Hayden has to a young Sean Patrick Flannery? That got me thinking why not Lucas make another season of young Indy to fill the gap, and cast Hayden to play Indy? Not to mention this was the era were Indy was going to the University of Chicago and his first real archaeological expeditions! There was hardly any archaeology in the first three volumes. Which was a bit disappointing, the next volume would finally get the good stuff. Anyhoo, tell me what you think of my idea. (I am not expecting Lucas to read this, I doubt he would make any more young Indy)

 

This is kind of creepy - I always felt that the original 'Young Indy' would have been the perfect Anakin Skywalker, had the saga continued as originally planned:

[image=http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lcjc3hESXG1qaqo15o1_400.jpg] [image=http://www.wearysloth.com/Gallery/ActorsP/13811-12944.jpg]
1986 - Episode I

[image=http://www.wearysloth.com/Gallery/ActorsP/13811.gif] [image=http://www.aleka.org/phoenix/filmo/indy-1g.jpg]
1989 - Episode II

[image=http://www.blogcdn.com/blog.moviefone.com/media/2010/08/sneakers-phoenix.jpg] [image=http://content.internetvideoarchive.com/content/photos/091/003842_5.jpg]
1992 - Episode III

 

Hayden Christensen should not play anything ever again, not even himself.

 

I think GL probably has one too many pots on the stove between TCW, putting the SW movies on Bu-Ray, the live action series, the Red Tails project, and Indy 5 to worry about doing another Young Indy series.

Besides, I don't really think the market would be there and the backlash between another Lucas/Hayden collaboration would probably be too great.

 

Boo-urns

He was great in 'Shattered Glass' (2003), which was an interesting, though somewhat forgotten, film about an unhinged journalist who spent most, if not all, of his time as a writer at 'The New Republic' fabricating articles.

Haven't seen anything else of his work past Star Wars, but I'm loath to write off an actor just because of the myriad of issues with the PT. FWIW, I thought he was fine in the PT, it was the writing & directing that was at fault, & some parts were great anyway.

Ewan McGregor's managed to bounce back (the lull wasn't all due to the PT anyway) & Natalie Portman's a hot favourite for the Oscar this year. Who's to say Hayden Christensen doesn't have a bright future ahead of him?

(Just as long as the "Mannequin Skywalker" tag that the well & truly over-rated Kevin Smith dubbed him with doesn't stick)

 

I know some think there can be no other Indy than Harrison Ford, and while I can understand their stance, to me a role is a role. Actors (even great ones) come and go. Hamlet has been played by an innumerable number of actors, but classic characters are forever. The Indy series has so much potential for the future, and let's face it - Harrison can't do it forever. I love him, but he's pushing 70. I can see the jokes on Letterman now - "Indiana Jones and the Quest for Geritol", etc... I feel very strongly that the next film should have Indy in his prime played by a younger actor who can handle the role. Now, Hayden? I can't see it. On the other hand, I think Chris Pine would be fantastic - he's got the look, the attitude, the acting chops, and he's the perfect age to start (he's 30 right now). Maybe throw in Emma Stone as Marion, a good MacGuffin (possibly Excalibur, Atlantis, what have you), Nazi baddies, and you could have a good recipe right there. If that's too derivative, come up with a new (strong) love interest and some unique villain. The possibilities are endless. I'd just hate to see the Indy series die out with a fizzle when there's so much potential...

 

Yep, thats a great film. And much of its brilliance is down to Christensen's very layered and disturbing performance (more Oscar-worthy than many portrayals you'll see tipped for such awards - yes I'm talking about you James Franco!).

 

Too bad River Phoenix died so prematurely. He would have been a terrific Anakin.

 

Then surely you mean its too bad that Lucas didn't start releasing the PT in 1986, as Darth_Nub proposed might have been the case when he mentioned River Phoenix in the first place? I agree he would have been a great Anakin... but not in 1997 when they were shooting TPM. Had he not died, he'd have been about 26 by then - therefore he couldn't/wouldn't have played Anakin.

Its not really his death that prevented him playing Anakin, its that Lucas delayed making Episode 1 for more than 10 years. Had Lucas continued making the films after ROTJ without delay, Episode 3 would likely have been released by 1992 - I think Phoenix died in 1993.

 

Which brings me to my next point. Anakin should not have been a snot-nosed child in Episode I, but rather a grown man in his early twenties.

 

Your original point implied that had Phoenix not died he'd likely have had a shot at playing Anakin come the PT. He wouldn't. Like it or not, Anakin was scripted to be 9 in Episode 1. Phoenix would have been approaching 30. As for "snot-nosed" children, I know its not the forum, but if you thought the Anakin of Episode 1 was "snot-nosed", you were clearly watching a different movie to me.

 

Touchy. I was just expressing my opinion that Phoenix would have made a great Anakin, and I had my own version of the prequels in mind when I said that. A better version of the prequels. Some people are too literal.

 

Not at all. I thought it was the other way round to be honest, but not to worry. I agreed that Phoenix would have made a great Anakin. But I was merely pointing out that his death had nothing to do with his not being able to portray the character. Its a redundant issue. Even had he lived, he'd never got the part

 

Agreed. He wouldn't have gotten the part as it was written, had he lived. I never intended to insinuate that he would have.

In my own personal conception of the prequels (i.e. the ones I'm perpetually re-writing in my head), however, he would have made a good choice. As would someone like Sam Worthington, for instance.

Don't get me wrong. I think Hayden Christensen is a fine actor. He just didn't fit what I always envisioned for Anakin.

But we digress, as this is off topic now.

 

I liked Hayden as Anakin, but him playing Indy?

....No, just no.

 

Well said!

 

Agreed. 110%.