Indiana Jones Indiana Jones Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr. is the title character and protagonist of the "Indiana Jones" franchise. George Lucas created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials. The character first appeared in the 1981 film "Raiders of the Lost Ark", to be followed by "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" in 1984, "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" in 1989, "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" from 1992 to 1996, and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" in 2008. The character is also featured in novels, comics, video games, and
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