INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL Writer Didn't Want To Include Aliens In The Movie

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL Writer Didn't Want To Include Aliens In The Movie

Few of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull's creative decisions sat well with fans, but the inclusion of aliens was a disaster. Now, writer David Koepp reveals that he fought against it.

By JoshWilding - Jul 14, 2022 11:07 AM EST
Filed Under: Indiana Jones
Source: Script Apart (via SFFGazette.com)

2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull jumped the shark in a big way. While the franchise had embraced somewhat fantastical elements in the past, introducing aliens was a step too far for many fans and not what they were looking for from the iconic adventurer during his long overdue return.

While that movie wrapped up with Indy heading off into the sunset, we know one more story featuring the character is on the way with next year's Indiana Jones 5 from filmmaker James Mangold.

We're guessing (and hoping) his movie won't feature any little green men, especially as Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is considered a real low point for the franchise after the beloved Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, and The Last Crusade. Now, writer David Koepp has admitted that he wasn't a fan of the idea, either, and even tried to talk Steven Spielberg and George Lucas out of it.

"I was never happy with the idea [of including alien-like creatures in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull]," he tells the Script Apart podcast (via Screen Rant). "When I came on, I tried to convince [director Steven Spielberg and franchise co-creator George Lucas] to change it - I had this other idea. They didn't want to change it."

"I'm not saying mine would've been better. But I think that a lot of the pushback that movie got, in a larger sense aside from little things people might not have liked - that were too silly or whatever - the larger one was that [fans said] 'We don't feel like aliens should've been in an Indiana Jones movie.' Fair enough, in retrospect, you're probably right [Laughs]."

Koepp declined to reveal his alternate idea for the movie, saying he'd rather it remain "this misty, ethereal thing that's probably brilliant" in the imagination of fans. Given how much else was wrong with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, we're not sure one different creative choice would have saved the blockbuster, but it's hard not to be intrigued by what might have been. 

It probably would have been better than those terrible CG aliens, anyway ! 

Indiana Jones 5 is set to be released in theaters on June 30, 2023.

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Nightwing1015
Nightwing1015 - 7/14/2022, 11:03 AM
How was the inclusion of aliens in the movie a disaster exactly?? They were in there for like 5 minutes of screentime.
Nightwing1015
Nightwing1015 - 7/14/2022, 11:06 AM
I can see why they included aliens it was based on the B-movies of the 1950s. In a world with ghosts and spirits aliens isn't that much of a stretch.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 7/14/2022, 11:12 AM
@Nightwing1015 - I guess aliens aren't really a stretch, but maybe making them interdimensional aliens is in my opinion. Normal aliens could've done the job too
Rosraf
Rosraf - 7/14/2022, 11:27 AM
@Nightwing1015 - It's thematically inconsistent. IJ trilogy looked to artifacts of the past as part of an archeological pathway to mystic and spiritual connections. "Aliens" kind of runs counter to that because it's inherently futuristic and technological. It's okay to want to adjust the themes in the fourth installment, but don't be surprised if fans don't love the change. -That and "Shia swinging with the monkeys" was pretty terrible. Shia was no Shortround.
thewanderer
thewanderer - 7/14/2022, 11:33 AM
@Nightwing1015 - Kingdom of the Crystal Skull > Temple of Doom.
ProfessorWhy
ProfessorWhy - 7/14/2022, 12:01 PM
@thewanderer - well, that is simply false. You have wandered beyond the confines of good taste
Origame
Origame - 7/14/2022, 12:16 PM
@Nightwing1015 - not only that but by temple of doom its confirmed every religion is correct, including those that revolve around aliens. It's a dumb movie, don't get me wrong, but the aliens are ridiculously overblown. Especially if you look up the crystal skull itself. Spoilers: that's not something they made up for the movie.
Origame
Origame - 7/14/2022, 12:19 PM
@bkmeijer1 - thats literally what they made them. Remember, "space between spaces"?
Nightwing1015
Nightwing1015 - 7/14/2022, 12:59 PM
@bkmeijer1 - I remember George made them inter-dimensional because Steven apparently didn't wanna do aliens. So it was a workaround from Lucas apparently.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 7/14/2022, 2:30 PM
@Origame @Nightwing1015 - it is, but I still don't like it. Aliens was okay, but interdimensional is just a step too far.

That said, God is also real in the Indy Universe, so I can accept interdimensional aliens too I guess.
dragon316
dragon316 - 7/14/2022, 2:49 PM
@Nightwing1015 - Indian jones series was never about aliens it was about artifacts it’s national treasure series to put aliens in Indian jones may as well be Star Wars movie looking for lost treasure in past.,

Aliens ruined it for me can’t speak for anyone else series felt little realistic with history being a involved what’s next Jurassic park with aliens in movie for five seconds that’s not dinosaur movie that’s alien movie
ProudPatriot76
ProudPatriot76 - 7/14/2022, 6:51 PM
@thewanderer - I like that you woke up and chose violence lol. I agree too. But I didn’t care for Mutt
thewanderer
thewanderer - 7/14/2022, 7:22 PM
@ProudPatriot76 - Mutt > Willie
Reeds2Much
Reeds2Much - 7/14/2022, 11:03 AM
The alien elements weren't the step too far. Shia LaBeouf swinging with a pack of monkeys was the step too far.
Reginator
Reginator - 7/14/2022, 11:05 AM
@Reeds2Much - Shia, my mind blocked the memory of him in the movie.
RafaelTorres
RafaelTorres - 7/14/2022, 11:04 AM
It’s really not that bad of a film, there have been many worse franchise movies since this. I’d watch KotCS over any of the Star Wars prequels any day. The nuking of the fridge scene isn’t even close to the most ridiculous scene in the movie. Can’t wait for numbah 5 !
thewanderer
thewanderer - 7/14/2022, 11:34 AM
@RafaelTorres - it's not, it's not even the worst Indiana Jones movie. That honor goes to Temple of Doom.
Fogs
Fogs - 7/14/2022, 1:51 PM
@thewanderer - I never got why people bash ToD. It was my fave as a kid!
thewanderer
thewanderer - 7/14/2022, 2:02 PM
@Fogs - 1) Willie, she almost ruins the whole movie on her own. 2) The ripping hearts out of chests never did it for me as a kid.
Fogs
Fogs - 7/14/2022, 2:07 PM
@thewanderer - heheh I always laughed with her. You found the heart thing too violent, is that it?

I remember finding it shocking but fantastical cause the dude was kept alive with no heart. Like "wait, is there something magical/profane but powerful going on".
thewanderer
thewanderer - 7/14/2022, 2:18 PM
@Fogs - no it wasn't the violence of it, it was more that it felt preposterous and unrealistic for some reason (and yes I realize I say that at the same time as an adult defending the inclusion of aliens).
Fogs
Fogs - 7/14/2022, 3:00 PM
@thewanderer - haha I salute the self awareness.

I like it as cause it was absurd at first, and the shock shows they weren't just a bunch of crazy painted dudes. There's something extraordinary happening, as it happens in every film (ark killing everybody, grail curing henry)
Reginator
Reginator - 7/14/2022, 11:04 AM
It was a huge disappointment. I really enjoyed the previous IJ movies and I agree aliens were a very stupid thing to have in the movie.
Fares
Fares - 7/14/2022, 11:06 AM
I don't know, I found the alien's concept to be kinda cool. There are other things however that that movie could've done differently or better.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 7/14/2022, 11:07 AM
I didn't really mind the aliens, or Indy hiding in a fridge, or even Shia swinging with the monkeys.

Only thing that really bothered my was that there were too many characters and by extent a too dense story. Could easily have done without Ray Winstone and John Hurt.
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