The premise:
Raiders of the Lost Ark is an unforgettable classic, and Harrison Ford's portrayal of Dr Jones is unquestionably one of the all time great screen performances. Words like iconic don't even begin to sum up the legacy of Indiana Jones. Not only are they some of my all time favorite films, I genuinely think the three volumes of the Indiana Jones Trilogy are among the best movies ever made.
Should that be the end of the road, though? Harrison Ford, like Connery as Bond, is untouchable, but does that mean the character should die with him? Or have the adventures of Dr. Jones just begun?
What I propose would be this: take us back to the beginning with a reboot of Raiders. Start us off fresh with a new Jones, a new actor under the fedora and a new attitude. Stay faithful to the character but use the springboard of the Raiders relaunch to take the character in a new direction. Make a new Raiders that embraces the darkness we see in Jones from the original film, and make that the blue print for all the new adventures that follow. Spielberg would sign off as executive producer, and after an exhaustive search, he'd team with Neil Marshall to helm the initial reboot, with names like Michael Mann, Alfonso Cuaron and Guillermo Del Torro waiting in the wings to tackle the sequels. I've spent the past two weeks meticulously building my reboot cast up from scratch. Each and every role has been carefully considered, and the cast I've brought together would be a dream team for launching a brand new series of Indiana Jones films.
And now, the reboot.
Neil Marshall's Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (2014)
Starring Daniel Craig as Indiana Jones
"Hahaha, sonofabitch..."
With...
Gael Garcia Bernal as Satipo
"The Hovitos are near."
Benito Martinez as Barranca
"If they knew we were here, they would have killed us already."
Michael Fassbender as Rene Belloq
"Once again you see there is nothing you can possess which I cannot take away."
Kurt Russel as Jock
"Come on, show a little backbone!"
Brian Cranston as Agent Musgrave
"You must understand, Dr. Jones, this is all strictly confidential."
Phillip Seymour Hoffman as Agent Eaton
"Frankly, we’re a little suspicious. An American being mentioned so prominently in a secret Nazi cable."
Viggo Mortensen as Marcus Brody
"If I were ten years younger, I'd have gone after it myself. I'm really rather envious."
Anne Hathaway as Marion Ravenwood
"Indiana Jones.. Somehow I always knew you'd come walking back through my door."
Christoph Waltz as Toht
"Your fire is dying. Won't you tell me where the piece is now?"
Mark Strong as Sallah
"Holy smoke, my friends! I'm so pleased you're not dead."
Golshifteh Farahani as Wife of Sallah
"What is this? Where did this animal come from?"
Gassan Massoud as The Arab
"Seig Heil!"
Guy Pearce as Dieter
"I am uncomfortable with the thought of this Jewish ritual."
Idris Elba as Captain Katanga
"Jones is dead. I killed him."
Chiwetel Ejiofor as First Mate of the Bantu Wind
"I can't find Mr. Jones, Captain. I've looked everywhere!"
OK, there you go. I'd love feedback. I also have an idea that would see Gassan Massoud as The Arab play a dramatically beefed up role during the second act. Also keep in mind Mark Strong would gain weight and grow a beard for the part of Sallah.
Edited by Dr Harford - 6/30/12 at 6:22pm
