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Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a 2008 adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, from a story co-written by executive producer George Lucas. Set in 1957, this fourth film in the Indiana Jones film series pits an older and wiser Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) against agents of the Soviet Union—led by Spalko (Cate Blanchett)—for a crystal skull. Indy is aided by his former lover Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), the greaser Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf) and fellow archaeologist Mac (Ray Winstone). John Hurt and Jim Broadbent also play fellow academics.

The film was in development hell since the 1989 release of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, because Spielberg and Ford initially disagreed over Lucas’s choice of the skull as the plot device. Screenwriters Jeb Stuart, Jeffrey Boam, M. Night Shyamalan, Frank Darabont and Jeff Nathanson wrote drafts, before David Koepp’s script satisfied all three men. Shooting finally commenced on June 18, 2007, and took place in New Mexico; New Haven, Connecticut; Hawaii; Fresno, California; and soundstages in Los Angeles. In order to keep aesthetic continuity with the previous films, the crew relied on traditional stuntwork instead of computer-generated stunt doubles, and cinematographer Janusz Kamiński studied Douglas Slocombe’s style from the previous films.

Marketing relies heavily on the public’s nostalgia for the series, with products taking inspiration from all four films. Anticipation for the film has been heightened by secrecy, which resulted in a legal dispute over an extra violating his non-disclosure agreement, and another man was arrested for stealing a computer containing various documents related to the production. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is scheduled for a worldwide release on May 22, 2008.

Producer Frank Marshall has confirmed that the film is set in 1957, making it nineteen years since Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, thus acknowledging the real-life passing of years between films. Indiana Jones is having a quiet life teaching before being thrust back into his old adventuring ways. He battles agents of the Soviet Union for the crystal skull. "The theory is they are shaped by higher powers or alien powers or came from another world, or an ancient Mayan civilization had the powers," Marshall explained. Indy’s journey takes him across New Mexico, Connecticut, Mexico City, and the jungles of Peru, as well as the warehouse from the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. There will be mild humor regarding Indiana’s age.

Some plot details have since been released on the official website of the film and in a new trailer also to be found on the site. The film opens with an action sequence pitting Jones and his new sidekick Mac (Ray Winstone) against Soviet Agents in the Southwestern desert. They escape and return to Marshall College where Indy encounters young renegade Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf) who needs Dr. Jones’s help in finding the mysterious Crystal Skull of Akator. Legend supposes the skull was stolen from a mysterious City of Gold guarded by the living dead in the Amazon. Whoever returns it to the city’s temple will become master of the Skull’s powers. Together they travel to Peru where they find themselves battling the Soviets under nefarious Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett) again, who wants the power of the skull as an advantage in the Cold War.

Harrison Ford plays Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones Jr. To prepare for the role, the 64-year-old Ford spent three hours a day at a gym, and relied on a high-protein diet of fish and vegetables.[5] Ford had kept fit during the series’ hiatus anyway, as he hoped for another film.He performed many of his own stunts because stunt technology had become safer since 1989, and he also felt it improved his performance. He argued, "The appeal of Indiana Jones isn’t his youth but his imagination, his resourcefulness. His physicality is a big part of it, especially the way he gets out of tight situations. But it’s not all hitting people and falling from high places. My ambition in action is to have the audience look straight in the face of character and not at the back of a capable stuntman’s head. I hope to continue that no matter how old I get."

Ford felt his reprisal would also help American culture be less "paranoid" about aging (he refused to dye his hair for the role), because of the film’s family appeal: "This is a movie which is geared not to [the young] segment of the demographic, an age-defined segment [...] We’ve got a great shot at breaking the movie demographic constraints."He told Koepp to add more references to his age in the script. Spielberg said Ford was not too old to play Indiana: "When a guy gets to be that age and he still packs the same punch, and he still runs just as fast and climbs just as high, he’s gonna be breathing a little heavier at the end of the set piece. And I felt, ’Let’s have some fun with that. Let’s not hide that.’" Spielberg recalled the line in Raiders, "It’s not the years, it’s the mileage", and felt he could not tell the difference between Ford during the shoots for Last Crusade and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Shia LaBeouf plays Henry "Mutt" Williams, a motorcycle-riding greaser and Indiana’s sidekick. It was long-rumored that Mutt would be Indiana’s son,but Indiana Jones: The Ultimate Guide by Dorling Kindersely details Mutt is the son of Marion Ravenwood and a Royal Air Force pilot named Colin. Frank Marshall said Mutt brings humor to the story because of his youthful arrogance, causing banter with the older and wiser Jones. Koepp credited the character’s creation to Jeff Nathanson and Lucas. LaBeouf was Spielberg’s first and only choice for the role. Excited at the prospect of being in an Indiana Jones film, LaBeouf signed on without reading the script and did not know what character he would play.He worked out and gained fifteen pounds of muscle for the role,and also repeatedly watched the other films to get into character. LaBeouf also watched Blackboard Jungle and The Wild One to get into his character’s mindset, copying mannerisms and words from characters in those films, such as the use of a switchblade as a weapon. Lucas also consulted on the greaser look, joking that LaBeouf was "sent to the American Graffiti school of greaserland". LaBeouf pulled his hip’s rotator cuff when filming his duel with Spalko, which was his first injury in his career. The injury got worse throughout filming until it pulled his groin.

Cate Blanchett plays the villainous Soviet agent Irina Spalko. Frank Marshall said Spalko continued the tradition of Indiana having a love-hate relationship "with every woman he ever comes in contact with".Blanchett had wanted to play a villain for a "couple of years", and enjoyed being part of the Indiana Jones legacy as she loved the previous films.[20] Spielberg praised Blanchett as a "master of disguise", and considers her his favorite Indiana Jones villain for coming up with much of Spalko’s characteristics. Spalko’s bob cut was her idea, with the character’s stern looks and behaviour recalling Rosa Klebb in From Russia with Love. Blanchett learned to fence for the character, but during filming, Spielberg decided to give Spalko "karate chop" skills. LaBeouf recalled Blanchett was elusive on set, and Ford was surprised when he met her on set outside of costume. He noted, "There’s no aspect of her behavior that was not[sic] consistent with this bizarre person she’s playing."Screenwriter David Koepp created the character.

Karen Allen reprises the role of Marion Ravenwood, who appeared in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Allen was not aware her character was in the script until Spielberg called her in January 2007, saying, "It’s been announced! We’re gonna make Indiana Jones 4! And guess what? You’re in it!" Ford found Allen "one of the easiest people to work with I’ve ever known. She’s a completely self-sufficient woman, and that’s part of the character she plays. A lot of her charm and the charm of the character is there. And again, it’s not an age-dependent thing. It has to do with her spirit and her nature." Allen found Ford easier to work with on this film, in contrast to the first film, where she slowly befriended the private actor.

Ray Winstone plays George "Mac" McHale, both a friend of and competitor with Jones. The character acts as a spin on Sallah and Rene Belloq — Jones’ friend and nemesis, respectively, in Raiders of the Lost Ark. According to Winstone, Mac worked with Indiana during World War II, and remains a source of suspicion because the Russians have spies in the British government. Spielberg felt Winstone was "one of the most brilliant actors around" when he saw Sexy Beast. Winstone tore his hamstring during filming. "I keep getting these action parts as I’m getting older," he remarked.

John Hurt plays Harold Oxley, a colleague of Jones who disappeared in 1937 while searching for the skulls. Frank Darabont had suggested Hurt when he was writing the screenplay. The character is inspired by Ben Gunn from Treasure Island.Hurt wanted to read the script before signing on, unlike other cast members who came on "because Steven — you know, ’God’ — was doing it. And I said, ’Well, I need to have a little bit of previous knowledge even if God is doing it.’ So they sent a courier over with the script from Los Angeles, gave it to me at three o’clock in the afternoon in London, collected it again at eight o’clock in the evening, and he returned the next day to Los Angeles." Hurt only appears in the film’s second half.

Jim Broadbent plays Dean Charles Stanforth, an academic colleague and friend of Jones. Broadbent’s character stands in for Marcus Brody, whose portrayer, Denholm Elliott, died in 1992. As a tribute to Elliott, the filmmakers put a portrait of the character in the film on the Marshall College set.

Igor Jijikine plays the Russian Colonel Dovchenko. His character stands in for the heavily-built henchmen Pat Roach played in the previous films (Roach died in 2004).
Alan Dale has an unnamed role. Andrew Divoff and Pavel Lychnikoff play Russian soldiers. Spielberg cast Russian-speaking actors as Russian soldiers so their accents would be authentic. Dimitri Diatchenko plays Spalko’s right hand man who battles Indiana at Marshall College. Diatchenko bulked up to 250 pounds to look menacing, and his role was originally minor with ten days of filming. When shooting the fight, Ford accidentally hit his chin, and Spielberg liked Diatchenko’s humorous looking reaction, so he expanded his role to three months of filming.

Sean Connery turned down a cameo appearance as Henry Jones, Sr. as he found retirement too enjoyable. Lucas stated that in hindsight it was good that Connery did not briefly appear, as it would disappoint the audience when his character would not come along for the film’s adventure. Ford joked, "I’m old enough to play my own father in this one."