Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Theatrical release poster by Drew Struzan
Directed bySteven Spielberg
Screenplay byDavid Koepp
Story by
Based on
Produced byFrank Marshall
Starring
CinematographyJanusz Kamiński
Edited byMichael Kahn
Music byJohn Williams
Production
company
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release dates
  • May 18, 2008 (2008-05-18) (Cannes)
  • May 22, 2008 (2008-05-22) (United States)
Running time
122 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$185 million
Box office$786.6 million

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a 2008 American action adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, and written by David Koepp. It is the fourth installment in the Indiana Jones film series and a sequel to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). Set in 1957, it pits Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) against Soviet KGB agents led by Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett) searching for a telepathic crystal skull located in Peru. Jones is aided by his former lover, Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), and their son, Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf). The supporting cast includes Ray Winstone, John Hurt, and Jim Broadbent.

Jeb Stuart, Jeffrey Boam, Frank Darabont, Lucas, and Nathanson wrote drafts before Koepp's script satisfied the producers. The filmmakers intended to pay tribute to the science fiction B movies in the 1950s. Shooting began on June 18, 2007, at various locations in New Mexico, New Haven, Connecticut, Hawaii, and Fresno, California, as well as on sound stages in Los Angeles. To maintain aesthetic continuity with the previous films, the crew relied on traditional stunt work instead of computer-generated stunt doubles, and cinematographer Janusz Kamiński studied Douglas Slocombe's style from the previous films.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull had its premiere at the 61st Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2008, and was released in the United States on May 22, by Paramount Pictures. It received generally positive reviews from critics, and was a financial success, grossing $787 million and becoming the second-highest-grossing film of 2008. A sequel, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, was released in 2023.