Lucas U-Turn: Mutt not to take Indiana mantle!

[James]

Phew. Some might remember Lucas' hints that he wanted LaBeouf's character Mutt to take the lead in a sequel to the forth film:

"I have an idea to make Shia the lead character next time and have Harrison come back like Sean Connery did in the last movie."

I recall he was waiting on fan reaction to see how Mutt fared.

One welcome U-turn later:

Harrison Ford is the "Indiana Jones" franchise and continuing with Mutt as lead would be "Mutt Williams and the Search for Elvis or something."

"The franchise really depends on me coming up with a good idea..
.. And that series is very research intensive... so we're doing research now to see if we can't come up with another object for him to chase... hopefully we'll come up with something."

Not that I hated Mutt, but I realised that deep down, if it shifted to Mutt's franchise with Indy as a cameo/secondary role, I couldn't watch it. The forth would be my last.

I just wish Lucas wouldn't put the burden of finding a "good idea" on his shoulders. He doesn't seem to be a fountain of them, having clutched onto the Crystal Skull for the best part of a decade - and that seemed to be a push for him (one that neither his director or lead were happy with either).

Honestly Mr Lucas, there are hundreds of writers who could get through any writers block you have in quests. Maybe it would be good to let someone else conceptualize no.5 and simply play showrunner!

Source: BBC NEWS

[TheVileOne]

There's always the lost continent.

[Michael24]

I never expected such a thing anyway. That was just fanboys getting their panties in a twist at the crazed idea that Shia would actually be playing Indiana Jones in future films. Like Lucas said, any possible film starring Shia would feature him as Mutt, not Indiana.

[Undrave]

He could be Indiana Williams!

Spoiler:

Or Mutt Jones

Maybe they could adapt the story from the old point and click Atlantis story...then again that one featured Nazis.

Maybe send Indy to the north for some Scandinavian artifact?

[Ragebot]

It might've been hard cracking that whip with a severed pinky anyway.

[Zorak Masaki]

Its kind of ironic that indy's son is named "mutt" considering that in the last crusade we found out that the "indiana" name was taken from the jones family dog.

[Tobias]

I can just imagine what they could have come up with if Mutt had taken over...

'Raiders of the Betty Ford Clinic"
"Mutt Williams & The DUI of Doom"
"Mutt Williams & The Last Crusade to the Liquor Store"
"Mutt Williams & The Kingdom of the Silver Bullet"

[James]

I never expected such a thing anyway. That was just fanboys getting their panties in a twist at the crazed idea that Shia would actually be playing Indiana Jones in future films. Like Lucas said, any possible film starring Shia would feature him as Mutt, not Indiana.

Erm, no. Read the quote. The whole 'panty twist' was Lucas suggesting the strong possibility of having Mutt to take on the lead in the next Indiana Jones - and for Indy being the Sean Connery second bill to Mutt.

I don't know what panty twisting there was at Raiders.net or wherever about the idea of Shia playing Indiana, but my concern - as I think others - was on Lucas' press release that Mutt would lead the next film, not Indy.

What Lucas is stressing here is that Indy IS the franchise, and to have Mutt taking lead would not work given Mutt's motivations aren't like his dads (hence the U-Turn).

[AlgeaX]

The franchise really depends on me coming up with a good idea...

Guess Indy is doomed then. Seriously, between this and the new Clone Wars film, it seems like Lucas is desperate to wring every last penny out of franchises that have really run their course.

[The Weed Of Cri]

Here's what we have to look forward to:

Indiana Jones and the Enlarged Prostate.
Indiana Jones: The Golden Years
Raiders of the Lost Retirement

When you get to the point where the leading man's stunt double has more screen time than he has, it's time to end the franchise. Give it a rest, George. Retirement wouldn't kill you, either.

[Michael24]

Erm, no. Read the quote. The whole 'panty twist' was Lucas suggesting the strong possibility of having Mutt to take on the lead in the next Indiana Jones - and for Indy being the Sean Connery second bill to Mutt.

I don't know what panty twisting there was at Raiders.net or wherever about the idea of Shia playing Indiana, but my concern - as I think others - was on Lucas' press release that Mutt would lead the next film, not Indy.

Okay, I must have misread what you posted or something. But yeah, over at theraider.net, there was lots of panty twisting by people who were convinced the series would continue as Indiana Jones and the... but with Shia taking over full time.

When you get to the point where the leading man's stunt double has more screen time than he has, it's time to end the franchise. Give it a rest, George. Retirement wouldn't kill you, either.

Harrison Ford did a lot of his own stuff in Crystal Skull, proving he's still more than capable of keeping the character alive.

[James]

Okay, I must have misread what you posted or something. But yeah, over at theraider.net, there was lots of panty twisting by people who were convinced the series would continue as Indiana Jones and the... but with Shia taking over full time.

I think the fear many had (and I can't speak for raider.net - or, well, anyone else but me) was to see Lucas look to extend the franchise beyond Ford by making the next films a "Star Trek: Generations" - a mantle exchange, moving Mutt into the spotlight.

By the sounds of it, poor rumblings from the reviews and feedback for IV might have convinced him that it was a stupid idea. Either that or he was looking to stir up some interest. Quite frankly, given how the Star Wars franchise seems to be stuck in Clone Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if this was a hope that he could extend the franchise into a spin-off franchise, but realised the audience weren't too hot for it. I wouldn't be surprised if Mutt featured fairly low in what gave people the kick from IV - and Indy himself proving to be the singular pull from the consumer.

Damn right too.

Harrison Ford did a lot of his own stuff in Crystal Skull, proving he's still more than capable of keeping the character alive.

Absolutely - though to finish of my credibility and use another Star Trek reference (I don't know why I'm slaying myself with that franchise), they need to accept Indy's age a little more into the next film - not just a few glib one liners.

After all, what made Indy so refreshing against the Bond franchise that carries certain similarities, was Indy's vulnerability - and surely an old man in fights that he looks hard pushed to win because he's getting old is really a new and refreshing way to mix up the action tension. So yes, I think Indy has more going in the franchise - it just needs Lucas to let some others help on the plot and accept this is one series of stories his own creativity might have run dry upon.

[Jacob T. Paschal]

IV was awesome, though not to mention it made money. I'd like to see continuing adventures of the Jones family.

[Hanshotfirst113]

Here's what we have to look forward to:

Indiana Jones and the Enlarged Prostate.
Indiana Jones: The Golden Years
Raiders of the Lost Retirement

When you get to the point where the leading man's stunt double has more screen time than he has, it's time to end the franchise. Give it a rest, George. Retirement wouldn't kill you, either.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Geriatrics.