2023-05-18 04:00:00
1 Born on a beach in Hawaii
Marked by the B series heroes of his childhood, George Lucas imagines, even before making “Star Wars”, this adventurer in search of relics with supernatural powers. The project materializes on a Hawaiian beach, where he is on vacation with Steven Spielberg, who dreams of directing a “James Bond”. “I have better: “The Raiders of the Lost Ark” “, he whispers to her.
Bank! With the success that we know. The first film is followed by “The Cursed Temple” (1984), “The Last Crusade” (1989) et “The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” (2008).
Before “The Dial of Destiny”, the last installment with Harrison Ford, 80 years old, and perhaps the end of the saga, the first four opuses brought in nearly 2 billion dollars at the global box office.
2 Name of a dog
Same actor and always the same look: three-day beard, old fedora hat, worn leather jacket, canvas bag slung over the shoulder and whip on the belt. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg are inspired by real or imaginary characters to give birth to their “Indy”. There is archaeologist Hiram Bingham, discoverer of Machu Picchu. But also the universe of Hergé, the westerns of Clint Eastwood or the French film “The Man from Rio”.
Named Henry, the adventurer has the nickname Indiana. Nothing to do with the American state. It’s the name of… George Lucas’ dog. Already, for “Star Wars”, it was she who gave him the idea for the character with thick fur, Chewbacca.
3 “Star Wars” cuckoo clock
In the “Indiana Jones”, the nods to the intergalactic saga are not lacking. For example, the droids R2D2 and C3PO hide in the hieroglyphs of the Well of Souls. And the seaplane is registered OB-CPO, a reference to Obi Wan and C3PO.
Fans also had fun spotting bugs and other anachronisms. The action takes place in 1936, but we see Indiana using a Bazooka, a weapon invented… five years later! Ditto for the map with Thailand, while the country is still Siam.
4 Magnum, Sharon Stone
To interpret Indiana, Steven Spielberg wants Harrison Ford, but George Lucas is not hot. He fears confusion with Han Solo, his character from “Star Wars”. They approach Nick Nolte, Jeff Bridges and Bill Murray, before choosing Tom Selleck, still little known. Who should refuse the role because he is committed to “Magnum”. Steven Spielberg then convinces him that Harrison Ford is their man.
To play Willie, a thousand actresses are auditioned, including Sharon Stone. It was ultimately Kate Capshaw who landed the role. She will not have a great career in the cinema, but becomes, in 1991, “Ms.” Spielberg.
5 The fabulous fate of “Half-Moon”
It is the illustration of the American dream. A refugee in the United States with his Vietnamese parents, Ke Huy Quan landed, at 12, the role of Demi-Lune, Indiana Jones’ young sidekick in “The Cursed Temple”. Then, confirms in “The Goonies”, another commercial success.
It is then the crossing of the desert before a return to the cinema in 2018 and the consecration in “Everything Everywhere All At Once” (2022), which earned him the Oscar for best supporting role.
6 Ophiophobes to abstain…
The hero’s weak point is ophiophobia: fear of snakes! It must be said that, very young, Indiana fell into a pit filled with these reptiles. For this scene that has remained famous, Steven Spielberg does not skimp on the quantity and robs pet shops, 6,500 snakes in total. But it is still missing and the director must add bits of garden hose. The most dangerous, the cobra, is filmed in a glass cage. At the end of filming, we realize that some snakes have made themselves beautiful.
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” hits theaters June 28.
Heroes of TV movies, comics and video games
From the release in 1981 of “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, Indiana Jones has established himself as an emblematic character of popular culture, ranking on the podium of “the greatest heroes and villains of cinema”. In four decades, he has also become the hero of TV movies, comics, video games and even amusement parks.
1684388070
#Harrison #Ford #Cannes #Indiana #Jones #saga #Festival #Cannes
