Indiana Jones’s ‘Crystal Skull’ Secrets Revealed!

Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on September 18, 2007

If you have never really worked in or around Hollywood, then you may not be familiar with the fact that almost everything comes with some kind of non-disclosure agreement. Basically, if you work on a film in any way, you are sworn to some level of secrecy. When we visited a particularly awesome creature shop in LA this summer, we signed a non-disclosure agreement. That is why I won’t reveal which shop it was or what awesome movie creatures we got to peep early. It is both common courtesy and a contractual obligation.

The stuff we got to see wasn’t for any super high-prolife flick like Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and we were still subject to a cavity search on the way out, so you can imagine what it would be like when the big man’s money is on the line. Yet despite a probably strict NDA, one of the bit player’s in the next Indy flick has come forward to spill some beans. The actor, Tyler Nelson of Edmond, Oklahoma (no relation to our own Ty Nelson) gave away the following plot details to his local newspaper, The Edmond Sun:

“Apparently, the Soviet Army was searching for a [crucifix] skull in the jungles of South America and Indiana Jones was searching, as well,” Tyler said. The Russian Army tries blackmailing Indiana Jones to help them find the crystal skull by “threatening to kill Karen, his old flame from the Lost Ark.”

“We took Indiana Jones hostage and managed to find the skull,” Tyler said. Afterward, Tyler and the other Russian soldiers rejoice in the jungle by wildly dancing and singing to Russian balalaika folk music beside a roaring campfire…

“they were filming us outside of a tent dancing and then turned the camera inside the tent,” Tyler explained his scene. “I saw Harrison Ford strapped in a chair being interrogated. I started to gather they were holding this big crystal-looking thing in the tent and heard someone mention a crucifix skull.”

In the movie, Indiana actor Shia LaBeouf plays Indiana Jones’ son. Jones learns of this and falls in love with Ravenwood again, Tyler said.”

It appears that someone at Paramount already got the memo and has been in contact with the paper, who has taken the story down off of their website. I can only imaging the note we will get for graciously reposting. Oh well, throw it in the pile next to all of the other nasty studio letters that we’ve gotten over the years. The things we do for the enjoyment of our readers…

In other Indiana Jones related news, George Lucas talked to TV Guide a little bit about the upcoming film and the lack of Sean Connery as the elder Dr. Jones.

“It’s just a completely different character, so you’re not invested in him in any way. The fact that that character, after the first part of the movie, isn’t needed doesn’t become a problem. Whereas I think with the scene we had, where [Indy] says goodbye to his dad, everybody was, “Wait a minute! Isn’t he coming back?” So in the end, I think it turned out for the best. Sean just retired and he wants to stay retired, and I understand that. [Laughs] I think he just said, “Look, I’ve done it, I’ve done it.” He was very tempted, you know, and we talked for a long time. But in the end, he just said, “Eh, I’m playing golf.”

Fair enough, indeed.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is due out on May 22, 2008. It stars Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent and now, Cate Blanchett.

Read more articles by Neil Miller