A Lucasfilm spokesman said he couldn't confirm all the details in the AP story, suggested the report might contain some inaccuracies and referred E! Online to Spielberg's company, Amblin, which would oversee the fourth installment.

The Amblin representative in turn said the AP story didn't appear to be entirely accurate. While acknowledging that a lot of people want to get the movie to "happen," he said the article appeared to make plans sound more definite than they were at this time as it had omitted such words as "hopefully" from Lucas' comments. The Amblin rep said the company may announce something official on Indy 4 this week, but quickly qualified that with the word "hopefully."

Whether or not he gave a firm start date, Lucas did say the movie would be a "character piece" with "very interesting mysteries," and added that Ford, now 64, is "fit to continue" playing the fedora-favoring hero. "I think it's going to be really cool," Lucas said.

According to this new info, the quotes from Lucas were accurate. But none of these quotes mention the completion of the Indy 4 script or the May 2008 release date? Let's first wait for an official comment from Amblin or Lucasfilm.

ORIGINAL STORY: George Lucas confirmed on Friday that the screenplay for the long-awaited Indiana Jones 4 has FINALLY been approved by all parties and that filming will start in 2007, for a May 2008 release!

George Lucas said Friday that filming of the long-awaited Indiana Jones movie will begin next year. Harrison Ford, who appeared in the three earlier flicks, the last one coming in 1989, is set to star again. Lucas said he and Steven Spielberg recently finalized the script for the film.

"It's going to be fantastic. It's going to be the best one yet," the 62-year-old filmmaker said during a break from preparing for his duties as grand marshal of Monday's Rose Parade.

Exact film locations have not been decided yet, but Lucas said part of the movie will be shot in Los Angeles.

The fourth chapter of the Indiana Jones saga, which will hit theaters in May 2008, has been in development for over a decade with several screenwriters taking a crack at the script, but it only recently gained momentum.

Lucas kept mum about the plot, but said that the latest action flick will be a "character piece" that will include "very interesting mysteries.

"I think it's going to be really cool," Lucas said.

Lucas praised Ford for breathing life into his character. "Mostly it's the charm of Harrison that makes it work," he said.

Source: Alicia Chang, The Associated Press - Dec. 29, 2006.

Back in July of 2006, Spielberg mentioned then recently hired screenplay writer David Koepp "is a great closer" for the Indy 4 script. Spielberg was right as Koepp obviously added something that got approval from everybody involved.

The work on the Indiana Jones 4 screenplay - which only took over 10 years to complete - has finally ended. And Steven Spielberg's next film will be the first Indiana Jones cinematic adventure since 1989!

What a wonderful way to end 2006 and an uncertain decade of Indy 4 script rumors & delays. 2007 will be a busy and exciting year.
Happy New Year everybody!

A big thanks to the following fans for contacting us with this news:
Brett Hopkins, Jose Rodriguez, Discomurf, Jay Cormier & Craig Gibson.

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