Mass Lucas CNN story

There's no new 'Jones' without Ford, says LucasStory Highlights
George Lucas would like to make a 5th "Indiana Jones," but only with Harrison Ford

Lucas didn't pay much attention to "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" reception

Filmmaker weighing idea of re-releasing "Star Wars" films in 3-D

"Star Wars: Clone Wars" hits theaters August 15

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NICASIO, California (AP) -- George Lucas says he's already identified the one person who can keep the "Indiana Jones" franchise going: Harrison Ford.


George Lucas dismisses ideas that the Indiana Jones series could continue without Harrison Ford.

The filmmaker scoffed at the possibility of passing the famed fedora from Ford to Shia LaBeouf, the 22-year-old actor who played Indy's son Mutt Williams in this summer's "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."

"He is Indiana Jones," Lucas said of Ford. "If Indiana Jones wasn't in it, you'd have to call it 'Mutt Williams and the search for Elvis.' ... "Yeah, it's 'Mutt Williams and the Search for Elvis.' "

Lucas sat down with AP Television at his Big Rock Ranch outside San Francisco, where he said he didn't pay much attention to the reception from critics and fans to "Crystal Skull," a sci-fi adventure set in the 1950s. But he definitely sees a future for Dr. Jones. A fifth movie is certainly a possibility.

"The franchise really depends on me coming up with a good idea," Lucas said. "And that series is very research-intensive. So we're doing research now to see if we can't come up with another object for him to chase ... hopefully we'll come up with something."

Meanwhile, the 64-year-old has another popular franchise to nurture: "Star Wars."

Lucas produced the animated "Star Wars: Clone Wars," hitting theaters August 15. It will be followed in the fall with the launch of an animated TV series by the same name, airing on the Cartoon Network and TNT. Lucas plans a live-action "Star Wars" TV series as well, and he's also looking into re-releasing the six "Star Wars" films using new 3-D technology.

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"We're trying to do that," Lucas said. "We worked on some, with a company that was developing the technology a few years ago to convert films into 3-D, we worked with them. But the system works great. It's just not very practical. So what we've been working on since then is to develop a sort of practical way to do it. And we will get there. It's just a technological challenge."

The producer-director waxed nostalgic for the days when talking to the press wasn't necessary to promote a film.

"I like when you focus on making movies, you make movies and people go to see them," he said. "But there's this whole other industry that's been created which the world hasn't quite adjusted to or caught up to or figured out. It's the same thing with copyright and all kinds of other things where things are going around that I'm sure at some point will become more civilized. I'm just waiting. Like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, I'll go out and adopt twins if they'll pay me $14 million to do it."

 

Awesome article, Keith!

Thanks for posting it.

 

You are quite welcome...........

 

I am glad to hear that Shia will not be replacing Harrison Ford.

Lately Shia's behavior and legal issues he has been having isn't what I would want if I had a child going to see as a role model or hero.

What is it with theses kids that come working through Walt Disney having al sorts of behavioral or whatever issues they have.

Example Brittney Spears, her younger sister, and Shia.

The safe bet is Shia will continue his antics what an @#% .

Half rant over.

 

Hmmm... Indy 5. Star Wars 3D and Clone Wars. Not to alienate myself from here, but has GL lost his touch? Has he had an original thought in, oh, the past ten years?