One of the most famous American film franchises is Indiana Jones. All films in order (the list includes four paintings) were released on large screens from 1981 to 2008. Who created the image of the legendary archaeologist Jones and why was the film so successful?
Indiana Jones: all films in order, list of paintings, history of creation
The legendary George Lucas, who created the Star Wars franchise, and the equally legendary Stephen Spielberg in 1977 rested in Hawaii and shared ideas about new projects in the future. Then it occurred to them to create a franchise for a valiant archaeologist who, in the name of history, was ready to get involved in the most dangerous adventures. George Lucas became the producer and screenwriter of the project, and Stephen Spielberg sat in the director's chair. That was the beginning of one of the first franchises in Hollywood.
There are fans of the tape who saw all the films from the Indiana Jones series. In order, the list looks something like this:
- 1981 - “In Search of the Lost Ark”.
- 1984 - "Temple of Doom."
- 1989 - The Last Crusade.
- 2008 - The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
For many years, franchise was also produced by Frank Marshall, who directed the films White Captivity and Congo as a director, and oversaw the projects Back to the Future and Empire of the Sun as a producer.
Movie No. 1. “Indiana Jones: Finding the Lost Ark”
For the first time, the viewer found out about Indiana Jones in 1981, when the first part of the franchise was released. $ 18 million was invested in the shooting of Indiana Jones: The Search for the Lost Ark. At the box office, the film earned an unprecedented amount at that time - more than 380 million.
In the first film, dedicated to the adventures of a brilliant archaeologist, the action takes place in 1936. U.S. intelligence agents turn to Gregory Jones and ask him to help him find an ancient artifact: a kind of ark that holds the stone tablets of the Old Testament. According to legend, this Ark can supply any army with unthinkable power.
Jones agrees to cooperate not only out of interest, but also because intelligence suspects his mentor of treason. Jones travels to Nepal, where he will have to face fierce competitors who act on behalf of the Fuhrer.
Movie number 2. "Temple of Doom"
The painting “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” was released in 1984 and had the same success as the first part of the franchise. In the shooting of the next film about a nimble American archaeologist, $ 28 million was invested. At the box office, "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" collected 333 million.
The scenario of the second part of the adventure franchise gravitated more to the thriller genre. He told of a story that happened to Jones in India in the early 30s. A brave archaeologist decided to help one of the Indian tribes return their shrine stolen by thugs. And only getting involved in this dangerous story, Jones realizes that his venture could cost him his life.
The “Temple of Doom” is replete with dungeon and tunnel decorations, thanks to which we see a rather gloomy atmosphere in the frame. In this style, no part of the franchise was removed anymore. But the special effects of the “Temple of Doom” were awarded the Oscar.
Movie number 3. "The Last Crusade"
In 1989, the film “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” was released. The budget of the film has grown to 55 million dollars. Revenue from rental paintings exceeded the figure of 470 million dollars.
This time, an Oscar was awarded to the picture for Best Sound. And the scriptwriter George Lucas moved the action to romantic Venice. At the beginning of the film, the viewer is introduced to some facts from the personal life of the archaeologist: for example, a funny story unfolds on the screen when the youth Jones circled the famous archaeologist and bandits around the finger; also a few words are said about his father. Then the action is transferred to 1938: a businessman is turning to Indiana who, with his help, wants to track down the Holy Grail. Jones, perhaps, would not agree, but his father, who devoted his life to studying this issue, suddenly disappears somewhere in Venice. Indiana will have to find not only a historical relic, but also her own eccentric father.
Movie No. 4. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
The film “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” was released almost twenty years after the Last Crusade. Spielberg managed to shoot a two-hour picture in 79 days. The budget amounted to 185 million dollars. Only in the first few days of hire it was possible to gain $ 100 million. A total of 786 million were collected in cinemas.
This time, the confrontation of American and Soviet scientists was placed in the center of the storyline. Jones, who in the 50s. studied an unknown aircraft in "Zone 51", the fanatical scientist Irina Smalko takes hostage. A woman with the help of an archaeologist gets what she was looking for, and Indiana is hiding from view, trying to save her life.
After this incident, Jones is taken into development by the FBI. Special services suspect him of cooperation with the USSR. How Indiana will unravel this story can only be found in the finale of the picture.
Shooting the latest Indiana Jones movie
Adventurous archaeologist Jones has a host of fans from all over the world who have watched the Indiana Jones movie saga from cover to cover - all the films in order! The list ended in the fourth part, and for many years nothing has been known about the further fate of this charming hero.
Finally, in early 2016, it became known from official sources that George Lucas came up with a new plot for the fifth part of the franchise. The main character will continue to play Harrison Ford, who by the start of filming will be 73 years old.