Why So Many People Didn’t Believe The First Indiana Jones Movie Would Work

Raiders of the Lost Ark is now considered a classic, but before it was released, many people didn’t believe that the first Indiana Jones movie would work. Raiders of the Lost Ark is an incredibly exciting throwback to adventure serials of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg’s childhoods, with the film launching a franchise that has surpassed these inspirations in nearly every way. However, this almost didn’t happen, as a lack of faith in the original Indiana Jones movie meant that Raiders of the Lost Ark almost didn’t happen.

Fresh off the heels of the original Star Wars, George Lucas met with Steven Spielberg in order to develop a project that he had long hoped to make: Raiders of the Lost Ark. In one story session between Lucas, Spielberg, and writer Lawrence Kasdan, many of the most recognizable parts of Indiana Jones were born, including Indy’s iconic bullwhip, the boulder chase sequence, and so much more. Raiders of the Lost Ark was to have a scale unlike anything before, and while it turned out wonderfully, this grandiose vision almost caused the early demise of Indiana Jones.

Raiders of the Lost Ark Struggled To Be Financed

In a behind-the-scenes Indiana Jones documentary, story creator George Lucas explained that Raiders of the Lost Ark almost didn’t happen due to the trio’s struggle to get it financed. While shopping the film around Hollywood, Lucas claimed that Raiders of the Lost Ark could be made for only $20 million. In the eyes of producers, this was an incredibly low budget for a project of this scale, with many studios hesitant to fund the project due to the prospect of it going over budget.

As it turns out, George Lucas’ Raiders of the Lost Ark budget was right, as the final film cost only $22 million. Lucas, Spielberg, and Kasdan were able to make the exciting, action-packed film on a fairly low budget, exceeding the expectations of the studios. The gamble from Paramount, the company that finally financed Raiders of the Lost Ark, really paid off, as the film went on to make nearly $400 million, with later films making even more.

Why People Were So Wrong About The First Indiana Jones Movie

Although on paper Indiana Jones sounded expensive, Lucas and Spielberg used clever filmmaking techniques to pull the film off on such a low budget. The duo used many of the same techniques found in the adventure serials that inspired Raiders of the Lost Ark, which helped cut down on costs. On top of that, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas shot Raiders of the Lost Ark as quickly as possible, not taking extra time to iron out small errors.

Raiders of the Lost Ark not going over budget was even more of a miracle due to Spielberg’s recent directorial jobs. Spielberg’s previous film, 1941, had a messy production and ended up being a critical failure, causing studios to not want him involved with Indiana Jones. However, Lucas was insistent that Spielberg directed Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Spielberg’s directing ended up being key to the success of the Indiana Jones franchise.