Report: Lucas Refuses To Discuss Possibility of ‘Indiana Jones’ DVDs (1 Viewer)

[Peter Overduin]

jacob:
All the main parties, including Lucas, Spielberg, Ford, and Connery have green-lighted this project. Only one remains, and that is the studio itself, which has balked at the initial costs involved before the first camera rolls. Ford apparently wants 25m up front, and a back end. You may recall that Cruise took away over 50m from the first Mission Impossible film with the contract he got there. Thus, once again, 'money' is the issue which has apparently delayed Paramount's 'go' for Indy 4.
Perhaps Indy 4 and the politics surrounding it has something to do with Lucas' stance on the trilogy not showing up on DVD? Or even his refusal then, (and now perhaps) to even discuss it? Just my .02(US)

 

[SteveGon]

I don't see why Lucas would have to be that involved in the production of Indy dvds - Paramount has shown that they're perfectly capable of issuing top-quality discs. Just put the darn things out and they'd sell themselves...
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He thought on homeland, the big timber, the air thin and chill all the year long. Tulip poplars so big through the trunk they put you in mind of locomotives set on end. He thought of getting home and building him a cabin on Cold Mountain so high that not a soul but the nighthawks passing across the clouds in autumn could hear his sad cry. Of living a life so quiet he would not need ears. And if Ada would go with him, there might be the hope, so far off in the distance he did not even really see it, that in time his despair might be honed off to a point so fine and thin that it would be nearly the same as vanishing.
-- Charles Frazier, Cold Mountain

 

[Sean Oneil]

Lucas should strike a deal with Paramount;
Greenlight Indy 4 (which is rumored to potentially top Titanic as the most expensive movie ever made) and Lucas will allow them to release the original Indy trilogy on DVD.
Or, since Lucas probably has more money in his checking account than Paramount, he could simply bankroll Indy 4 himself like he is doing with the Star Wars films.
Even if Indy 4 costs $300,000,000 to make, I have no doubt that it would quickly make it's money back. Seems like a good investment for someone(s) who has $300,000,000 to spend.

 

[Bob Movies]

I also agree with Tom. Besides an inital marketing blitz, I can't understand why Lucas would want to wait on the Indy releases.
This applies to anyone else, for that matter. *Universal - Back To The Future, Disney - Lots of Movies, Warner - Old Titles*
Why not have them in stores? Fans will buy them. If I don't get the discs this week, but I get them next month, what do they really care? They'll get some money now (from people that buy them right away) and the rest of the money when I eventually buy them. The point is, they make $0 by not having them available.
The "Waiting To Do Them Right" argument is crap, since there have been a ton of movies "Done Right" on DVD, even from the very beginning of the format. It also makes even less sense when the only available copy is the very "Done Wrong" VHS editions.
The more I think about it, the more I like MGM's approach. It is much better than Warners, or any of these other studios. I want the movie. I love movies. If I want to watch Indy tonight, I don't want to hear that Lucas will be releasing it in 2004, and it will be beautifully restored by then. I don't want to wait three years to see it. I'd be happy if there was just a widescreen copy available on DVD. But there isn't, so I turn to my old laserdisc, and I'm watching it. Sure, Laserdisc may be seen as an "inferior format" but it's superior in the sense that I can actually watch some movies on it.
~Bob

 

[Daniel L]

While I'm all for getting my favorite titles as soon as possible, you have to look at it from a studios point of view.
1. You can release all of your titles now, and rely on re-releases for future revenue.
or
2. Stagger you relases over a few years, optimising you revenue.
With DVD's lack of degradaibilty, unlike VHS or Sony LD's, the general public will not bother re-buying titles over and over. At this point, if a studio re-releases a title, it is only being picked up by die-hard collector's who want the best version available. Even us die hard collector's are beginning to tire of the old re-release games played by the studios.
You may love what MGM has done by releasing tons of product, but at what cost? How many of these releases have been rushed to market just to boost thier bottom line, ignoring the idea of quality control? They're cheap, I'm not going to argue that, but wouldn't you have like a little more effort put into some of the titles such as The Howling, Escape from New York and the original Princess Bride? For every awesome release such as Hannibal and The Terminator, they release ten to twenty hack jobs.
Better yet, ask yourself what you'll be buying from MGM/UA next year... I don't even know what's left on in thier archives that I care about. (Of course other people will point out thier favorites, but that not the point here.)
While sutdios such as Paramount, Fox, Disney, Universal and Warner hold back on releasing everything on DVD at one time, dissappointing everyone with a, "I want it now!" attitude, it is better for their long-term financial interest.
Remember, in today's market place the studios answer to a higher power than the consumer... they have to please their stock holders.
Daniel L

 

[Tino]

The reason Indy 4 has not gone into production is simple. There is no acceptable screenplay.
Those that have been written have been crap. This has been reported many times in the past. That is the holdup, NOT Paramountrefusing to put up the cash. Once a script that is acceptable is written and approved by all the main players, then this project will get the greenlight, so long as all the people involved can rearrange their schedules. In regard to the DVD releases of the Indy films, my hunch is that we will see them in 2002.
Jeez, Edwin, That Variety magazine of yours sure likes to stir up trouble. First those allegations of inaccuaracies in Pearl Harbor's time of attack, which was not true, and now this article, which doesn't say anything other than TWO years ago, he wouldn't discuss it. Two Years? A lot can change in two years. Read Entertainment Weekly instead, or even the National Enquirer. I think those publications check their facts.

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Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus.

 

[Norm]

The reason theres no Indy 4 rests with Lucas. Paramount would green light this franchise in a minute. Lucas wants to wait until all Star Wars movies are done, he even admitted it when he said he can't work on more than one project at a time, like Spielberg does.
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Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation
http://apacure.org/

 

[Dave F]

Two years ago, there was no talk about the Phantom Menace DVD. This article says nothing.
-Dave
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DVD List

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

quote: Two years ago, there was no talk about the Phantom Menace DVD. This article says nothing.[/quote]
Why should there be? Two years ago, it just got released and was still playing in the theaters at this time!
~Edwin
[Edited last by Edwin Pereyra on September 09, 2001 at 05:58 PM]

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

The "Waiting To Do Them Right" argument is crap, since there have been a ton of movies "Done Right" on DVD, even from the very beginning of the format. It also makes even less sense when the only available copy is the very "Done Wrong" VHS editions.

But did those movies have a director concentrating on Minority Report, an executive producer/writer concentrating on the greatest sci-fi saga in history, and a star with more work on his plate in his downtime than many actors have at their prime? What's holding this up is getting all the key people together. As for that article... things change in 2 years. The DVD market changed more than anyone expected in 2 years.
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[Chris S]

The down fall here is that Lucas does not trust the Hollywood community (in particular the studios). So instead of letting the studios handle DVD releases or other projects he prefers to do it himself. However with Attack of the Clones only 7 months away and preparation for the Ep. I DVD just concluding he doesn't have time to do much of anything else. Hopefully he can delegate some of the work off to other people that he trusts so that we can see Indy on DVD sooner rather than later. Chris
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Star Wars: http://www.ig88-.net

 

[Dave F]

2 years ago, I remember quite a few people digging for information on an upcoming DVD release of Phantom Menace. And we all know that work on DVD's often begin soon after the theatrical release. In many cases, work commences before the film has even hit the theaters.
This is beside the point though - the article is outdated. I'm not saying that work has commenced or anything, just that 2 years is a lonnnnng time in the entertainment world.
-Dave
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DVD List

 

[Robert Dunnill]

While sutdios such as Paramount, Fox, Disney, Universal and Warner hold back on releasing everything on DVD at one time, dissappointing everyone with a, "I want it now!" attitude, it is better for their long-term financial interest.

They concentrate on newer releases because they are more profitable, not because they are afraid of exhausting their catalogs. There are many thousands of catalog titles gathering dust in their vaults that at this rate will never see the light of day on DVD.
MGM takes a different approach - they've been releasing many of their obscurities in bare-bones format, but keep in mind that the modest returns these titles will bring in often will not justify reference quality transfers, or loads of expensive extras. They are still a huge improvement over laserdisc or VHS, though.
RD