When you think adventure, you think Indiana Jones. The series completely reinvigorated the adventure movie genre and none have come close to matching the magic of the original Indiana Jones trilogy. Maybe you've watched all the films over and over again, but there's certainly lots of behind the scenes Indiana Jones trivia to learn!
The combination of Steven Spielberg's (quasi-) grounded adventurous approach to family-friendly filmmaking (he'd already done both Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind before Indy and was soon to do E.T., Hook, and Jurassic Park) and George Lucas's eye and mind for the fantastical (Star Wars) made for the perfect pairing.
The franchise, one of the best film franchises in history, is infinitely re-watchable. Full of twists and turns, laughs and shrieks, adventure and romance, it's the ultimate in classic filmmaking and a cultural touchstone that affected pop culture and film for years to come.
Let's look back at the films and enjoy some interesting facts you may not know about the Indiana Jones series. Enjoy the journey back through the franchise and all across the world, and be sure to upvote the best Indiana Jones trivia facts!
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The Indiana Jones Films Helped Bring About the PG-13 Rating
Temple of Doom is generally credited (along with Gremlins) with inspiring the MPAA to create the PG-13 rating, as many felt the scenes of violence in both movies were too much for a PG rating, but not enough for an R rating. It is widely believed that had Steven Spielberg's name not been on both movies, they may have each received an R rating.
Fun fact: The Flamingo Kid was the first film to be given a PG-13 rating, but sat on the shelves for five months before being released. Red Dawn was the first motion picture released with the PG-13 rating.
The Indiana Jones Outfit Is Museum-Worthy
Indiana Jones's kangaroo-hide bull whip was sold in December 1999 at Christie's auction house in London for $43,000. His jacket and hat are on display at the Smithsonian.
The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Almost Had an Even Worse Title
Before The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was chosen as the subtitle for Indiana Jones 4, the original title (a George Lucas choice) on the original script was Indiana Jones and the Saucer Men. He also had several other titles in mind, such as Indiana Jones and the Attack of the Giant Ants.
Spielberg, on the other hand, wanted the movie to be called Indiana Jones and the [Something Something] of the Mysterians, but he quickly gave up on that idea to avoid confusion with The Mysterians.
Screenwriter David Koepp thought the movie should have been called Indiana Jones and the Son of Indiana Jones. Eventually all three had settled on the movie's final title, with Lucas himself insisting on using the word "Kingdom" in the title, as opposed to just Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull.
Another Legendary Movie Was Scripted on the Set of Raiders of the Lost Ark
Steven Spielberg and Melissa Mathison wrote a script during shooting breaks on the location of Raiders. Mathison was there to visit her husband, Harrison Ford, and Spielberg dictated to her a story idea he had. That script was eventually called E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
Harrison Ford Was Cast Last Minute After Dozens of Other Actors Either Turned Down, or Couldn't Commit to the Role
Actors considered for the role of Indiana Jones included Nick Nolte, Steve Martin (who chose to do Pennies from Heaven instead), Bill Murray (who dropped out due to scheduling conflicts with SNL), Chevy Chase, Tim Matheson, Nick Mancuso, Peter Coyote, and Jack Nicholson. Harrison Ford was cast less than three weeks before principal photography began.
Ford's Stuntman Had to Take Over for Him for a Large Portion of The Temple of Doom
Harrison Ford herniated his back in the bedroom scene in which he is attacked in his by a Thuggee assassin. Production had to shut down for Ford to be flown to Los Angeles to have an operation. A huge majority of Ford's work in the fights and chases in The Temple of Doom are actually his stuntman, Vic Armstrong.
Carrie Fisher, Barbra Streisand, & Spielberg Teamed Up to Prank Ford During The Temple of Doom
While filming the whipping scene, the crew pranked Harrison Ford. While he was chained to a large stone, Barbra Streisand appeared, dressed in a leather dominatrix outfit. She proceeded to whip him, saying "That's for Hanover Street, the worst movie I ever saw." She continued whipping him for "Star Wars, and making all of that money." Carrie Fisher then threw herself in front of Ford to protect him, and Irvin Kershner chided director Steven Spielberg. "Is this how you run your movies?"
In Raiders of the Lost Ark, the Shooting of the Swordsman Was Not Scripted
The famous scene in which Indy shoots a marauding and flamboyant swordsman was not in the original script. Harrison Ford was supposed to use his whip to get the swords out of his attacker's hands, but the food poisoning he and the rest of the crew had gotten made him too sick to perform the stunt. After several unsuccessful tries, Ford suggested "shooting the sucker." Steven Spielberg immediately took up the idea and the scene was successfully filmed.
Indiana Jones Is Partially Responsible for Tomb Raider Featuring a Female Lead
Lara Croft, the female archaeologist of the Tomb Raider series, was originally designed as a man, but was changed to a woman, partly because the developers felt the original design was too similar to Indiana Jones.
Coincidentally Paramount Pictures, which distributed the Indiana Jones film series, would later make two films based on the Tomb Raider games.
The Indiana Jones Franchise Was Conceived While George Lucas Was Avoiding Thinking About Star Wars
Traditionally, when one of his films is about to open, George Lucas goes on holiday to get away from all the hoopla. Just before Star Wars: Episode IV was set to open, Lucas went to Hawaii, where he was joined by Steven Spielberg. When the grosses for Lucas's film came in, and it was clear that his movie was going to be a hit, Lucas relaxed and was able to discuss other topics with his friend.
It was at this point, as the pair was building a sand castle, that Spielberg confessed he always wanted to direct a James Bond film, to which Lucas told him he had a much better idea - an adventure movie called Raiders of the Lost Ark. After their trip, they got together and developed the script with Lawrence Kasdan.