Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skulls?

The first picture of Harrison Ford as a sixtysomething Indiana Jones has been released by Lucasfilm. I think he looks great.

The plot of the film--which is set in the mid 50s--is still hush-hush, but smart money says the traditional opening sequence pits Indy against Soviet agents at Area 51, and you know what that means: aliens.

Huh?!

Yep. Rumor has it the plot focuses on the "modern legend" of the crystal skulls and takes a Von Daniken-"Chariots of the Gods" approach to the alien element (a theory that was very popular in the 70s... Recall the voice-over that accompanied the opening of every episode of the old Battlestar Galactica).

In brief, the idea is that ancient aliens visited Earth in prehistoric times, built the pyramids, interacted (as gods) with the people, and--basically-- inspired both real ancient civilizations (i.e., Egyptians, Mayans) and legendary ones (i.e., Atlantis, Lemuria, et al) before vanishing whence they came... But (MUA-HA-HA), they will someday return. Apparently, these 13 crystal skulls have something to do with it.

If this sounds new agey, there's a reason: von Daniken's theories are credited with helping to inspire the (blech) New Age Movement.

On another note: word is that Shia LeBouf plays a sexy, greaser/beatnik type rival who gets caught up in this adventure with (or possibly, against?) Indy without either of them realizing (until later) that he's Indy's son.

His mother (again, according to rumor) is Marion Ravenwood.

This character--the son of Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood--has been in numerous previous drafts of the scripts. In the Jeff Boam drafts (which are set in the late, post-war 40s where Indy is now a war hero racing against Stalin to find Noah's Ark), he's a precocious, wisecracking 10 year old called Anakin Abner, after Marion's father & Indy's mentor. (Get it? Lil Abner?)

At least he's all growed up and James Dean-ified now.

Someone should ask LeBouf what his character's first name is. I bet it would trip him up, and then we'd know whether to expect the Karen Allen cameo.