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Spielberg, Ford Blocked Alien Plot; Indy Grossed $786 M

6/16/2026

48 5 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Spielberg and Ford opposed Lucas’s alien plot for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Lucas wanted a “War of the Worlds”-style story, but the duo rejected the sci-fi direction.
The 2008 film opened in May and earned $786 million worldwide despite mixed reviews.
Ford returned in 2023’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which grossed $384 million and received negative reviews.

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Story summary

Spielberg and Ford opposed Lucas’s alien plot for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Lucas wanted a “War of the Worlds”-style story, but the duo rejected the sci-fi direction.
The 2008 film opened in May and earned $786 million worldwide despite mixed reviews.
Ford returned in 2023’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which grossed $384 million and received negative reviews.