Indiana Jones (franchise) Indiana Jones (franchise) Indiana Jones is an American media franchise based on the adventures of Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., a fictional professor of archaeology. It began in 1981 with the film "Raiders of the Lost Ark". A prequel, "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom", followed in 1984, and a sequel, "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", was released in 1989. A fourth film, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull", was released in 2008, and was the last in the series to be distributed by Paramount Pictures. A fifth film is scheduled to be released
Indiana Jones (franchise) Lucas, Spielberg, Frank Marshall, and Kathleen Kennedy met during the American Film Institute's tribute to Ford, and decided they wanted to enjoy the experience of making an Indiana Jones film again. Spielberg also found returning to the series a respite from his many dark films during this period. Spielberg and Lucas discussed the central idea of a B-movie involving aliens, and Lucas suggested using crystal skulls to ground the idea. Lucas found these artifacts as fascinating as the Ark, and had intended to feature them for a "Young Indiana Jones" episode before the show's cancellation. M. Night Shyamalan was hired