"Variety" weighs in on Indy IV - Darabont deal

Posted by Tim Elliott from 66-214-140-217.gln-res.charterpipeline.net (66.214.140.217) on Friday, May 31, 2002 at 10:09am :

May 30, 2002

'Indiana' ignites

Scribe deal fires up 4th pic in Par's franchise

By CLAUDE BRODESSER, CATHY DUNKLEY

After more than a decade of silence, "Indiana Jones" will be cracking
his famous bullwhip on the bigscreen once again.

Frank Darabont has been offered the job of writing the fourth
installment of the "Indiana Jones" franchise and a deal is expected to
be inked imminently. Paramount insiders say the pic will be aimed at a
July 2005 holiday weekend berth.

The road to produce a "Jones" sequel has been long and twisting since
the trio of producer George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and topliner
Harrison Ford agreed to make a fourth pic (Daily Variety, Sept. 23,
1993).

Lucas previously courted "The Sixth Sense" writer M. Night Shyamalan and
"Shakespeare in Love" co-writer Tom Stoppard to write the screenplay.
Now Darabont is expected to take control and knock out a screenplay for
a story that was hatched by Lucas and given a thumbs-up by both
Spielberg and Ford.

Darabont has been Oscar-nommed twice for his writing -- in 1995 for his
adaptation of "The Shawshank Redemption" and in 2000 for "The Green
Mile."

While not the first, Darabont is likely the most qualified to do the
job: Aside from a long association with Lucas and Spielberg, Darabont
has experience with the Joneses. He wrote several episodes of the
1992-93 TV skein "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles," as well as
several editions of the Sean Patrick Flanery-toplined pics "The
Adventures of Young Indiana Jones." In 1996, he penned the series "Young
Indiana Jones Travels With Father" for Lucas with longtime Lucas
collaborator Jonathan Hales, with whom Lucas wrote "Star Wars: Episode
II -- Attack of the Clones."

More recently, Spielberg and Darabont worked together on the screenplay
for the upcoming Tom Cruise starrer "Minority Report," and while
Darabont's work is uncredited, the two are understood to have expressed
an interest in working together again more formally. The next "Jones"
seemed a good fit.

Dating back to 1981, the Indiana Jones pictures have produced more than
$1.2 billion in worldwide theatrical grosses.

"Raiders of the Lost Ark" raked in $432 million, while followups
"Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and "Indiana Jones and the Last
Crusade" harvested $348 million, and $418 million, respectively.

(Marc Graser contributed to this report.)

© 2002 Reed Business Information © 2002 Variety Inc.

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Re: CNN has the article too! - Sergei 12:17pm 05/31/2002

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: May 30, 2002 : 'Indiana' ignites : Scribe deal fires up 4th pic in Par's franchise : By CLAUDE BRODESSER, CATHY DUNKLEY : After more than a decade of silence, "Indiana Jones" will be cracking : his famous bullwhip on the bigscreen once again. : Frank Darabont has been offered the job of writing the fourth : installment of the "Indiana Jones" franchise and a deal is expected to : be inked imminently. Paramount insiders say the pic will be aimed at a : July 2005 holiday weekend berth. : The road to produce a "Jones" sequel has been long and twisting since : the trio of producer George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and topliner : Harrison Ford agreed to make a fourth pic (Daily Variety, Sept. 23, : 1993). : Lucas previously courted "The Sixth Sense" writer M. Night Shyamalan and : "Shakespeare in Love" co-writer Tom Stoppard to write the screenplay. : Now Darabont is expected to take control and knock out a screenplay for : a story that was hatched by Lucas and given a thumbs-up by both : Spielberg and Ford. : Darabont has been Oscar-nommed twice for his writing -- in 1995 for his : adaptation of "The Shawshank Redemption" and in 2000 for "The Green : Mile." : While not the first, Darabont is likely the most qualified to do the : job: Aside from a long association with Lucas and Spielberg, Darabont : has experience with the Joneses. He wrote several episodes of the : 1992-93 TV skein "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles," as well as : several editions of the Sean Patrick Flanery-toplined pics "The : Adventures of Young Indiana Jones." In 1996, he penned the series "Young : Indiana Jones Travels With Father" for Lucas with longtime Lucas : collaborator Jonathan Hales, with whom Lucas wrote "Star Wars: Episode : II -- Attack of the Clones." : More recently, Spielberg and Darabont worked together on the screenplay : for the upcoming Tom Cruise starrer "Minority Report," and while : Darabont's work is uncredited, the two are understood to have expressed : an interest in working together again more formally. The next "Jones" : seemed a good fit. : Dating back to 1981, the Indiana Jones pictures have produced more than : $1.2 billion in worldwide theatrical grosses. : "Raiders of the Lost Ark" raked in $432 million, while followups : "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and "Indiana Jones and the Last : Crusade" harvested $348 million, and $418 million, respectively. : (Marc Graser contributed to this report.) : : © 2002 Reed Business Information © 2002 Variety Inc.

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