It appears that Frank Darabont will get no credit for his work on Indy 4. We get the following scoop thanks to our tenacious friends at MTV:
After a long script-writing process for “Indiana Jones 4″ that he told MTV News last spring was “a waste of a year,” celebrated director Frank Darabont wondered in November whether there would be any arbitration over credit, given how many of his own ideas seemed to find a way into David Koepp’s “Crystal Skulls.” So we wondered: Now that the movie has been finished, will Darabont at last get to see his name on the big screen for an Indiana Jones adventure?
“Nope. Not on this one,” Darabont said when we caught up with him last week. “I know there are some common elements to what I gave Steven [Spielberg] and what was eventually shot, but I guess not enough to warrant credit. It’s clearly a disappointment, especially after Steven loved my script.”
The news piece goes on to say that Frank would be happy to work with Steven again but has no interest in working with lucas stating that ” our storytelling sensibilities have diverged to the point where that would be a pointless exercise.” For those of you that may not be able to read between the lines, that is a polite way of saying “Fuck No, Lucas is a douche bag.”
We heard about the unfortunate problems Darabont was having a few months back, and now it seems that the finger of blame is being pointed at George’s fabled beard. It sounds like some of his ideas made it through to the film and it is disheartening to hear that he will not get credit. All we can do is speculate however, the truth lies between these gentlemen and perhaps the full story will never be known. Show business is just that, and like any other – you may have a bad day at the office from time to time.
It’s Lucas Property. he deserves to do with it as he wishes, without the all the pissy groaning….If FD, has a good idea he should make it ontp something himself….
How can you guys act like its better script when you haven’t even read it. I guess no one will credit Lucas if Skulls turns out great.
It’s really too bad. If Speilberg loved the script, that should have been reason enough to use it.
That explains Lucas’s comment from before.
Cool – and the finger of blame if the I4 is crap is already nicely shoved up Lucas’s ass.
yea the mist was amazin….i dont think ive gotten that emotionally involved in a movie in a long time….horrifying in all the right ways
I think he also feels Lucas has lost his ability to write good story material and/or recognize it.
Dammit. This really bugs me now, especially after seeing The Mist. lol
Not to mention the dude has worked on Indiana Jones before as well in the Chronicles of Young Indiana Jones and his scripts for those were FANTASTIC.
This really fucking sucks that his script wasn’t used. I mean, Koepp’s script COULD be great but the dude doesn’t have a consistent good track record. And from what I’ve seen so far from the new Indy Jones, I haven’t been *that* impressed.
I wish I could meet Frank and get my hands on his original manuscript…he’s GOT to have it lying around his house somewhere.
i think darabont’s script would have been better….dont ask me why. but this guy has done stellar work in everything he touches….shawshank, the green mile, and the mist were all fantastic movies with great writing…..oh well
All I can say are three words… “The Phantom Menace”…
Enough said…. :( Fuckin George….uhhh
I can imagine his frustration. That’s a year of his life he will never get back after pouring his soul into that script.