Will Indy 4 distract GL from Episode 3?

I saw that Indy 4 is now official and Frank Darabont has been hired to write the script. Does anyone else have a concern that the July 2005 release date could lead to Lucas being distracted from Episode III over the next 3 years? I know he doesn't have to write or direct, but I suspect it would still require a decent amount of his time. Since he's said he will write III on his one, I'm a little concerned that he might be trying to do too much and not have the time to do the 100% killer job we're all expecting for the last movie.

If he doesn't even have time to work on the DVD release of the originals, how does he have time to exec produce an entire new movie, one which I would expect will be quite elaborate?

 

It's a little worisome, but I wouldn't sweat it. He should be able to pull off both.

WOw, what a summer 2005 is gonna be!! EP3 and a new Indy!

 

Ep3 physical production will mostly be over by the time they start serious work on Indy 4. I don't think Indy needs as much prep time like a SW film and hopefully will be less CGI reliant than SW. The most time consuming part of SW for Lucas is the writing, preproduction and production phases. After that Lucas comes by more to check up on ILM and editorially and doesn't require as much time as being on set or behind a typewriter.

If you also remeber back to the PM docu. Lucas said his schedule during post of PM was to go check on ILM in the morning and return to his office around noon and work on the script for AOTC. Well he won't have SW writing obligations during post for Ep3 and instead can use that time to focus on Indy.

He doesn'y have to be directly overseeing everything for Indy, since Lucas will be the one directing. Will Lucas go on location? Don't know. But if he does it'll be during the post phase of Ep3. So what'll he do? probably the same thing Spielberg did during Schindler's list, when Jurassic Park was in post...high speed internet connections and teleconferencing.

So in a word...no. Indy 4 won't distract him much. And if anything because he'll be collaborating with Spielberg, maybe Steve will help a bit with Ep3.

 

Good point on collaboration on Ep III. Obviously Spielberg won't work directly on it, but perhaps while they are together George will throw some of his ideas out in casual conversation and and Spielberg can bring him back to earth.

LUCAS: Hey Steve, I'm thinking about a big 30 minute Jar-Jar monologue in the middle of everything where he talks about his childhood and how wonderful it was.

SPIELBERG: Ahhh....George....that isn't such a good idea.

 

of course McCallum might overhear the conversation and chime in.

McCALLUM: (interuppting) No no no no. That's F'NG AWESOME!

SPIELBERG: What!? Get out of here you kniveling idiot and bring me a cup of coffee.

 

yes and it does worry me!

 

Right.

 

I would pay large amounts of money to see Speilberg kick Rick McCallum's ass.

 

Blasphemy.

 

I'm thinking (*hoping*) that they will not release Ep III up against Indy 4. I think Indy will prolly get pushed for a fall release...(did they do that with Crusade?)

 

Indy 4 will have no effect on Lucas's contribution to Ep 3. He's been working up to Ep 3 for nine years, more if you want to say he's been planning this since 1977. I'm sure Indy 4 is just a lark to him. He wrote the story and is getting an exec. producer credit. His input will be what it was in the other three Indy films: advising in the editing room. He's got an Oscar nominated screenwriter, two experienced and respected producers, an actor who could play the role in his sleep (though I hope he won't), and a director who's the Bomb. Indy 4 is in good hands. It'll be a vacation for him...albeit one that earns him another 50 million.

SPIELBERG: "We're getting Indy 4 ready for July 4 2005 to give George the one-two punch with Star Wars."

 

You think Steven would set Lucas and McCallum straight about EpIII? Hah! It's not like he wasn't an advisor on both TPM and AOTC. He certainly was, as was Kasdan and other big names, and they loved it. So forget about this "helping George make Star Wars" stuff.

As for Indy --- think back a few years. Did the crashing schedules of The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark take anything away from those films being awesome? I most certainly don't think so. And George wouldn't go ahead on Indy if he thought it could distract. That's why he's doing it after EpIII principal photography and only then. 'Cause then he's ready to kick ass.

 

It won't have an effect.Lucas and Speilberg between them made some of the greatest films ever made between '80 and '84.If you think of the amount of films they made in this short time,and the great quality of them,there is no reason to worry about Episode 3.


Also i would love Speilberg to have an imput on the final chapter.Not that he's needed,but it would be nice !!!

 

This thread....reading about 2 of my favourite series' ever...is making me smile.

I really really cant wait until 2005. I cant wait to start hearing things about Indy 4. I can really see Spielberg helping Lucas out a bit, in the sense that he would offer more opinions, just as Lucas will offer some to Spielberg for Indy.

When did GL say he is writing Episode 3 alone? never saw that one.

 

Spielberg and Lucas are too close and too competitive. Spielberg would be the worst person to offer Lucas notes on Ep 3 as they swim in the same pond (you know, the summer blockbuster one filled with million dollar bills). Lucas needs old, cranky friends who hate STAR WARS to tell him what to do: Coppola, DePalma, Milius, Scorsese. I wish he was amicable with his ex wife Marcia, as I hear she was a huge influence on the OT and the first Indiana Jones movie. She apparently was the "balance of the force" when it came to Lucas's early creative energies.

 

That's nonsense. Getting someone who HATES Star Wars to offer advise on its making? That's like getting a classical piano player who hates heavy metal to offer advise on the making of a new Metallica album. Or getting advise from a lead guitarist who hates classical music on the making of a classical symphony. Completely ridiculous. To put it this way - do you let a critic who hates ANH tell you how it should have been?

And as we all know - Marcia Lucas, Gary Kurtz and Lawrence Kasdan made the Star Wars Saga. George Lucas just sat by the pool and thought of ways to sell toys. He can't make movies to save his life.

Sorry. Grumpy mood. Sick of the never-ending Lucas bashing.

 

Adali Kiri

When I said "hate" I didn't mean they were anti-SW. It just helps to have outsiders who are still storytellers give you a perspective someone too close to the material might not have. The people I mentioned, you'll note, are all Lucas's friends and they'll be constructive, I think. And remember, both DePalma and Milius contributed to the ANH script, uncredited.

And I never mentioned Kershner and Kurtz. I think they're contribution has been overrated. But Marcia Lucas I think has been underrated. I worked with someone who got his start in the industry on EMPIRE and JEDI and worked closedly with both Lucas's and he said to me that her input was incredibly influential to Lucas's success. She just balanced him and gave a lot of his early work soul. It even says so in Dale Pollock's bio of Lucas, SKYWALKING. I'm not a Lucas basher. I hate threads that speculate on how everyone should be directing EP 3 but Lucas. I just think like all filmmakers, input is valuable. And honest input, not McCallum Input.

 

I think the programmers and designers from ILM will have more work to do than Lucas. Like someone said earlier, he won't have the burden of having to write an additional episode. He should have plenty of time.


Harrison Ford will be 62 in 2004. Yikes!
Harrison is no Sean Connery, whatever that means.

 

I think I remember hearing a story about Milius and De Palma and Spielberg et al. Watching ANH before it came out at a private screening and they all blasted it and made fun of it except Spielberg who pegged it to be the insane blockbuster it was. As I recall, this had De Palma giving it the MOST heat. ANH is easily one of the 5 best films of all time and none of them saw save steven and george. So I'm not really sure I want their advice. They can stick to making films like JACK and Snake Eyes.

-JWAC

 

Jedi Without a Cause:

If you'll remember, Lucas said that story was bunk in his recent interview with Maxim Magazine. He said they critiqued his work and, like all friends, it got personal and silly. At the end of the day, Spielberg liked it the best, but did nothing to contribute to the final product except maybe kiss Lucas's ego, which is why he's the worst judge of Lucas's current work (he has enough "yes" men). It was DePalma, the guy who laughed loudest, who wrote the opening crawl that became a part of film lore. Those are the facts.

And, yes, some of them have made pretty embarrassing films of late. But it doesn't diminish their overall careers, nor their ability to judge and critique work.

 

Well, regardless ... I'm not sure george NEEDS their advice anyway. I don't remember the Maxim interview 'cause I never read it. And De Palma still pretty much sucks in my book. He sucked even back then. Though I did like Untouchables, however that was because of David Mamet and I'm getting off track.

I really can't imagine De Palma doing that much to help though or any of the rest of them for that matter. The guy's just not a screenwriter, Owen. Not any better of a screenwriter than Lucas himself is. In fact, really none of them are. As far as the directing or editing or what have you goes. I think Lucas can and did hold his own with them and I'd rather he trust himself than bring in the artsy guys to second guess him.

Hales was supposed to help out on the dialogue front and he got of blew that assignment so I don't know what to think. Still the problems however minor in the PT are problems with the script not neccessarily the directing or producing or editing which Lucas handles just fine, IMO.

Still, I'll admit my scathing attack on the 70s directors was a little harsh. ;-)

-JWAC

 

The queation is, will 20th Century Fox distribute Indy? Will we get to hear the Fox Fanfare + 20th Century Fox logo + Lucasfilm logo twice in the summer of 2005?

 

Paramount will release Indy.

 

Jedi without a cause:

Well, I think Coppola is a much better writer-director than Lucas, and his oeuvre sort of proves that. Yes, his recent output has been embarrassing, but this is the guy who made GODFATHER 1,2, THE CONVERSATION, and APOCALYPSE NOW. You can't wipe that off the slate.

My overall point is that people like DePalma and Milius gave Lucas valuable advice once on ANH and they have a reputation for being positively critical. I don't think it's going to happen. I don't even think Lucas and Milius speak anymore. BTW, don't misconstrue anything I say as being that Lucas is some hack who couldn't find the wall blindfolded. The point is, no filmmaker works in a vacuum and you can always use an outside voice to help you step back from your own intimate investment in the project.

Now, what was the original question on this thread?

 

fair enough. Coppola is the one exception. In fact, I don't mean to say that The 70s guys are hacks in any way either. Just I don't know how helpful they'd be.

As far as 20th century fox releasing Indy IV: Attack of the Jones ... all I have to say is they won't. Otherwise we'd lose the paramount logo turning into a REAL mountain at the beginning as it does with every Indy film. It's too classic. It must stay with paramount.

-JWAC