Several titles have been bandied about for the next Indiana Jones film. Some may've been tongue-in-check references to its aging cast, such as Ravages of Time. Others, such as The City of the Gods, suggested a continuation of the first and third films' theme of searching for Biblical artifacts.
Finally, today we are presented with the official title — which tells us almost nothing:
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (Sept. 9, 2007) — The title of the new Indiana Jones adventure, now in production under the direction of Steven Spielberg, is Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, it was revealed today by actor Shia LaBeouf.
LaBeouf, who stars in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull with Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone and John Hurt, announced the title during today's MTV Video Music Awards, which were broadcast live from Las Vegas.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a Lucasfilm Ltd. and is being distributed by Paramount Pictures. It will be released in the U.S. and simultaneously in most territories worldwide on Thursday, May 22, 2008. Frank Marshall returns as producer, with Kathleen Kennedy joining George Lucas as executive producer.
Breaking news about Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull can be found at http://www.indianajones.com.
Now, I don't need spoilers anymore than this film needs advertising. And maybe, not being an archaeologist myself, I'm missing the connotations and backstory implied by the title. But it sounds as fabricated as the Temple of Doom. Come on, Steve — just a hint as to the plot? Pleeease?
While some observers have speculated that since the fourth Indiana Jones movie is set in the 1950s that it would involve Area 51 and extraterrestrials, I think Lucas and Spielberg will stick to the mythic/pulp tone of the previous movies and stay away from science fiction.
That said, crystal skulls were been found in Latin America and are the subject of some speculation (see Wikipedia's article for references). The recent The Phantom movie featured one version, and I wouldn't be surprised if Indy and company end up in Latin America or sub-Saharan Africa in their next adventures…
Gene: I'm as happy that they avoided aliens for the fourth film as I am they scrapped the haunted house approach for the third. Still, of the previous three films, I enjoyed the second the least. The lack of historical foundation may've been a part of that. Thanks for letting me know there may be some basis for the fourth film. After the subtitle announcement, an archaelogy professor offered more detail (tip of the hat to TheForce.net).
Also, why is it every time I think a franchise is complete enough for me to buy the box set, they release a new entry? Now I need to update my Indiana Jones and Die Hard collections. :-\