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.”
In the Indy universe it’s the penitent man who passes, and for his part, Darabont bows down before Spielberg, saying he “wouldn’t hesitate to work with Steven again.”
The same can’t be said of George Lucas, however, who has probably seen the last of the “Shawshank” scripter. Would Darabont ever consider, for instance, working on the new “Star Wars” television series slated to hit airwaves in 2010?
“Honestly our storytelling sensibilities have diverged to the point where that would be a pointless exercise,” he said of Mr. Lucas.
April 2nd, 2008 at 6:03 pm
I don’t see how he “wasted a year.” He was paid for his work so that’s hardly a waste.
Scripts get rejected all the time. He sounds like he needs thicker skin.
April 2nd, 2008 at 7:07 pm
You don’t understand, Lon. Darabont got screwed over Mission Impossible 3 as well.
It’s more than getting paid. It’s the principles behind it. Spielberg liked Frank’s Indy script, Lucas didn’t. And I do question Lucas’ taste.
It’s like you’re working really hard at a retail place, and you don’t get credit from the managers, while the ‘kiss-ass’ get the glory. Samething. You and the ‘kiss-ass’ are getting paid the same, but you’re left in the cold.
April 3rd, 2008 at 2:01 am
yeah, and a LOT of the plot in indy 4 is recycled from Darabont’s draft, just adjusted to fit Lucas’s standards. It’s one thing to be able to take rejection, but for something like that to happen…it’s just a shame.
April 3rd, 2008 at 8:45 am
I agree with Davezilla and Aaron’s view, it is a shame considering that Darabont is no stranger to the Jones franchise. He did write several teleplays for The Young Indy series, not to mention that the script for “The Shawshank Redemption” is considered to be one of the greatest screenplays ever written.
I find it strange too, that Jeff Nathanson shares story credit with Lucas?? He was hired after Darabont’s script was rejected. I say give the man the credit he deserves.
April 3rd, 2008 at 7:42 pm
He did waste a year of his life. He put in all the hard work and effort to get it right, and in the end he gets no credit whatsoever. That’s one year wasted, basically, for nothing. It would be interesting to see a comparison with his version of the script once the movie is released, to see exactly how much he contributed to the final film.
April 3rd, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Holy crap. It is time to LET THIS THING DIE, Frank Darabont. Strange thing is, for someone who says his “storytelling sensibilities” are so wonderful, he sure has produced some stinkers and bombs. Say what you will about George Lucas’s “Star Wars” prequels, but they made a boatload of money around the world — someone saw them two, three, four times. Why those “someones” won’t ‘fess up to liking what they claim to hate, I’ll never know.
Meanwhile, Frank Darabont is proving himself to be one of the biggest whiners Hollywood has ever seen. Apparently the Writer’s Guild of America has weighed in on this, since a billing block has been issued and looks final. And guess what? His own union determined, after reading all submitted scripts, that Frank Darabont does not deserve credit.
He can take credit for “The Mist” and for “The Majestic” and for that ultra-lousy “Frankenstein” remake all he wants. After all, he wrote those. Oh, yeah, and “The Fly II” and the remake of “The Blob.” The WGA agreed he wrote those.
But the WGA says he didn’t write “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.”
Strange that, eh?
April 3rd, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Hm. Doesn’t look like my attempt to post “took.” So I’ll try again …
Frank Darabont is also the guy who wrote “The Mist,” “The Majestic,” “The Fly II,” “The Blob” and that astonishingly bad 1994 remake of “Frankenstein.” Let him claim credit for those winners all he wants. The Writer’s Guild of America agreed that he wrote ‘em.
But the WGA, Darabont’s own union (and the one to which George Lucas does NOT belong, oddly), read all of the scripts and likely held its own investigation before determining the final writing credits. Now they’re out, and Darabont’s still complaining. The WGA says you didn’t write it, Mr. Darabont. They represent YOU, not George Lucas. And they don’t agree with you. Case closed. Or so I’d think.
The Lucas haters will always believe Darabont wrote this movie, no matter WHAT anyone says. But someone, somewhere, liked the “Star Wars” prequels to the tune of billions of dollars around the world. Someone, somewhere saw the movies many, many times, and apparently liked them enough to go back and buy them on DVD. Whether YOU think they’re good, many millions of people did. So, Darabont’s “storytelling sensibilities have diverged” from George Lucas’? I dunno … if I had to guess, based on past history, who’d write a better “Indiana Jones” story and would know a good “Indiana Jones” script when he sees it, I guess my money would be on that guy with the silver pompadour.
April 3rd, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Oops. Look like my first post took after all. Sorry, folks.
April 4th, 2008 at 8:23 am
Nicely said John.
Darabont’s clearly not averse to kissing Spielbergs arse and he hasn’t made a good action flick since temple of doom.
April 4th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Wait, the WGA HAS reviewed the KOTCS script? Really?? And no one has leakedthat, let alone any details from it? What is this world coming to?
April 5th, 2008 at 1:42 am
What’s really funny about this is that, in a recent interview with Empire Magazine, Frank said he’d be okay with Steven and George even if he didn’t get final credit (hmm). Don’t worry Frank. Maybe Spielberg will give you a call if he decides to make a film based on a Stephen King novel. What I’d like to know is how anybody outside the cast and crew, let alone the bloggers here, know whether or not the original story was done by Darabont. Everything about this movie was under lock and key with everyone involved in the project ordered to sign confidentiality agreements (one extra even tried to leak it and got sued by Spielberg and Lucas!!) and you’re going to tell me that you know whether or not he wrote enough for him to get credit?!!? Unless you can provide some concrete evidence, the kind that was overlooked by the WGA, then shut the hell up. BTW, Lucas is not a member of the WGA because he got a lot of flank for putting the credits in Star Wars and Empire at the movies’ ends. He got so upset over something so stupid, as well as dealing with lawsuits towards him and Empire director Irvin Kershner, that he dropped out of the WGA, the DGA, and the MPAA. For me, all this leads to one simple conclusion: Indiana Jones is finally back and nothing on Earth, in this galaxy, is going to stop me from seeing him in action again.
April 5th, 2008 at 11:11 am
Darabont…stop being a baby!
Come on man, it’s a business. Didn’t Lucas help you get started with the Young Indiana Jones t.v. pics. Where would you be without that? Lucas didn’t like your script, sorry. Life isn’t fair sometimes. I guess the next time someone writes a script for you and you don’t like it…too bad, I guess you’ll just have to live with it and use it.
Your films haven’t been perfect. Some have been great, some plain terrible. That Jim Carrey one you did…worst movie ever.
Take it like a man, say you gave it your best and then tip your hat. Don’t cry like a baby.
April 5th, 2008 at 11:23 am
This is a man with a huge ego who if he doesn’t get what he wants will throw everyone under the bus. Listen to him…I mean this guy did the Majestic…he isn’t perfect…so he is going to rip Lucas? Did Lucas not pay him for the script? Lucas hired you to write and he didn’t like your results, is what it is. Your script most likely did suck and wasn’t used. Also the Mist was very average, Mr Daramont…you aren’t getting better as a director and writer as you get older. I don’t think you have the grounds to get mad. Don’t hire Daramont to help you with a scipt, if you don’t like his work heaven help you. He will destroy your name everywhere he goes. What is funny is he is too scared to throw Spielberg under the bus. Spielberg might have said he liked your script but he sure didn’t fight to keep it. That is all I need to know about what he really thought about it.
April 5th, 2008 at 11:36 am
Another thing…why all the hate to Lucas. Look, Lucas isn’t perfect. Nobody in Hollywood is. Spielberg has done 1941 and The Lost World, not good movies. Everyone make a mistake, makes a bad film from time to time.
Lucas has directed that much…
Lucas Directing credits Are THX-1138, Star Wars, American Graffitti, SW-TPM, SW-AOTC, SW-ROTS.
That is all he has ever directed. One is a cult classic, two are in the top 100 greatest movies of all time. Revenge of the sith I thought was a very good flick and the other two prequels where pretty shaky with some cool moments. So In my view the guy is 4 for 6. Pretty darn good average if you ask me.
The guy created Indiana Jones, ILM, sold Pixar to Steve Jobs after starting that. Lucas takes chances and is a very good idea guy. Nobody can argue with that. So why all the hate?
Because he has made so much money?
April 6th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Spielberg also directed “Always,” “Amistad,” “A.I.” and “The Terminal” and that horrible “Kick the Can” sequence of “The Twilight Zone.” Some are OK, some are lousy, none are classics. He also produced such excruciating duds as “Harry and the Hendersons,” “*batteries not included” and “The Money Pit.” I’m NOT hating Spielberg; I love what he does!
It’s just that George Lucas is expected to marvel and wow every single living person (or at least fanboy) on the planet with everything he does. Yeah, George produced “Howard the Duck.” And Spielberg isn’t perfect, either. But Darabont just tries to push the “Lucas is a hack, Spielberg is a god” line over and over. Whatever. Time for Frank Darabont to go make another middling, overlong movie.
One note about George Lucas resigning from the WGA and DGA — can you imagine the “Star Wars” movies with full credits up front? That’s what the DGA and WGA insisted needed to be done on “The Empire Strikes Back.” Lucas had dug himself into a major debt hole to finance that movie himself, outside of the studio system, then the guilds came in and tried to mess with it — and charged him a lot of money as a “fine” in order to let him proceed. Frankly, I’d resign, too. These are the guilds that were supposed to represent HIM!
If you can indeed imagine and approve of the image of “Star Wars” movies with a full set of opening credits, without an “iris out” to the “Directed By” credit at the end, you can imagine more than I can! (And make no doubt, George’s actions paved the way for many other directors to achieve the same sort of dramatic impact with their films. His “sacrifice” is one many people forget.)
April 6th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
The reason Lucas gets all the hate is because he devalued a beloved franchise. He deserves every bit of it. Sure, he is a good idea man, no problem there either. But he sucks at writing scripts. That is a fact.
The reason Indy 4 has a chance is because Steven is directing and Koepp wrote the script. We’ll see.
April 7th, 2008 at 1:57 am
First of all. Frank Darabont was not the only writer who tried to write a version to Indy 4. Many famous screenwriters tried and got rejected for whatever reasons.The film has been in development hell because of it. Frank GROW UP. You are working in the motion picture business. Its hell! What planet are you from? I believe you have talent and Lucas hired you many times because of it. But its not personal. I am a filmmaker and screenwriter and my comment to SOCCERFAN44 is that your comment about Lucas is unfounded and quite naive. Lucas is quite talented and does know film well. He does deserve respect. The new Star Wars films are quite layered, rich and more complicated than the original. Lucas took bold moves and stuck to his ideas. He did not devalue anything but has inspired many filmmakers in the past and new filmmakers into the digital age. I could write a book about this topic but i will stop here.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:08 am
Devalued a beloved franchise? Hm. Last time I looked, “Star Wars” was pretty much more popular than ever, especially with kids, who are the target audience (and always have been). As I said earlier, SOMEONE loves “Star Wars” enough to see the movies, including the prequels, over and over again in theaters and to buy them on DVD! If you wanna talk about devaling a great story and movie, look at “The Fly II”!
April 8th, 2008 at 6:57 am
gotta say, I’m pleased to see so many folk defending Lucas here, he gets way too much undue vitriol from people who, if they were to watch their precious original trilogy with fresh eyes, would realise that all the things they hate about the prequels are present and accounted for right there.
I mean, Soccerfan says Lucas can’t write then praises the original franchise? Well duh! He WROTE the original film dopey!
The films (ALL the films) are some of the most entertaining and varied pulp fun ever made, not a religion, not some untouchable canon, just great, fun films.
April 17th, 2008 at 2:22 am
Aw crap. That sucks.
June 6th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
He made great movies yeah and he got credited for those, so why can’t someone critisize him for the crap he has made.
The starwars prequels and the latest indy installment both lacked character, their were brainless and had a storyline a 3 year old could write.(by the way SW episode 3 s****d bigtime to my opinion)
He just makes up a lot of characters with absolutely no backstory and/or depth;
Count dooku,darth maul,jarjar,mace windu, mac(indy 4),spalko, ravenwood, addler even the main characters lack depth.
Whilest in the old movies he had a couple of main characters and wove them in the storyline as much as possible which made the movie enjoyable.
By the way i don’t care if lucas makes billions of dollars, i just hope he realizes the last movies he made are to me a great disappointment…..