Shyamalan misses Indiana's ark Frank Darabont roped in as scriptwriter

Arthur J Pais

Over three years after producer George Lucas, director Steven Spielberg and actor Harrison Ford joined hands for the fourth instalment of the Indiana Jones series, a writer has been attached to the project.

And it is not Manoj Night Shyamalan.

Several writers have been holding discussions with the filmmakers and Ford about scripting a story idea proposed by Lucas and Spielberg that will carry the adventures of archaeologist Indiana Jones into the new century.

Last year it looked like writer-director Shyamalan, who wrote the script (with Greg Brooker), for the hit flick Stuart Little, apart from writing and directing superhits Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, was about to sign a deal. But his preliminary script did not thrill filmmakers.

Lucas also approached British playwright Tom Stoppard, who scripted the Oscar-winner Shakespeare In Love. Stoppard worked as script doctor and rewriter (uncredited) on Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade. Apparently, he did not have any success either.

Last Friday, Paramount Pictures, which bankrolled the Indiana Jones franchise, announced that the Oscar-nominated writer and director Frank Darabont, will pen the script. Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, Mr Majestic), has written several episodes of The Young Indian Jones Chronicles for television.

The untitled project is aimed for a July 4, 2005 release, Daily Variety reported, quoting Paramount Pictures.

The first of Indiana Jones series Raiders Of The Lost Ark, was released in 1981, followed by Indiana Jones And The Temple of Doom in 1984, and Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade in 1989.

Ford will be almost 63 years old at the time of the fourth Indiana Jones release. Hollywood buzz has it that Ford, one of the few stars in the $20 million club, will get at least $30 million this time to don his trademark fedora and battle snakes, rats, spiders and vicious and greedy men and women who want to steal valuable antiquities, among other things. He is also expected to get a cut from the grosses, like Spielberg and Lucas.

Ford is one of the most dependable artistes at the box office, with just a few flops, including Sabrina (1995) and Random Hearts (1999), in a career that took off with Lucas' Star Wars over 35 years ago.

Even his weaker films, including the critically blasted films, have been able to make decent profits. For instance, Six Days Seven Nights (1998) made about $150 million worldwide, while What Lies Beneath (2000) --- co-produced by Spielberg's DreamWorks Studio --- grossed over $300 million abroad. Air Force One (1997) was also a superhit worldwide.

The fourth Indiana Jones film may cost about $150 million, making it the costliest film Spielberg has directed. His recent films cost about $100 million each.

The three Indiana Jones flicks grossed $1.2 billion worldwide in ticket sales and at least $500 million in video rentals and sales. Given today's ticket prices (averaging $8 in big cities), the high fee for television and cable rights and the phenomenal growth of DVD sales, the new film may gross $1 billion worldwide.

When the new film opens, it will be about 24 years since Harrison Ford grabbed the Lost Ark from Nazi thugs. The last Indiana Jones film featured Sean Connery as the grumpy father of Indiana. There is speculation if a younger Jones will be introduced this time.