One Of The Most Divisive Horror Directors Ever Almost Wrote An Indiana Jones Movie

If there's one constant involved in franchise filmmaking, it's that every sequel that gets made leaves behind at least one alluringly alternate iteration. After all, who wouldn't be curious what "Alien 3" would've looked like had William Gibson written it, and hey, what if Quentin Tarantino actually had made a "Star Trek" film? While these can be fun fantasies and thought exercises, ultimately one needs to adopt an "everything happens for a reason" mentality regarding unmade sequels in order to not get too heated. Still, there's no stopping one's mind from reeling with visions of what might have been, especially when the combination of franchise and filmmaker is so tantalizing.

That's the situation we have when it comes to "Indiana Jones" and M. Night Shyamalan, a collaboration which nearly happened some 25 years ago. According to this article from Premiere, Shyamalan was called in to meet with Steven Spielberg about a fourth "Indiana Jones" film in the summer of 2000, subsequent to the former's massive success with 1999's "The Sixth Sense." Although this meeting allowed a Shyamalan-scripted "Indy" film to gain a little traction, by 2002, it was clear that film wasn't going to happen, and a fourth "Indiana Jones" movie wouldn't materialize until the release of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" in 2008. Although no details of Shyamalan's setup for "Indiana Jones 4" have ever leaked, the filmmaker has publicly hinted that his concept for the sequel was "a darker idea." Who knows if an "Indiana Jones" movie from the divisive filmmaker would've been better received than "Crystal Skull" was or not, but two things feel clear: the film would've been fascinating, and it's probably good that it didn't end up happening.

First and foremost, there's no doubt that a Shyamalan-penned "Indiana Jones 4" would've been something to see. Given the filmmaker's penchant for horror, coupled with his assertion that his vision for the film was "darker" (per an interview he once gave to Collider), the unmade sequel very possibly could've outdone "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" in the spooky department. (It also may have latently or blatantly addressed that sequel's more problematic content, given Shyamalan's Indian heritage.) That's not to say Shyamalan would've written an R-rated "Indy" film, as the man already had experience adapting his sensibilities to a more all-ages audience, having co-written the family adventure movie "Stuart Little."

Still, while the film would've been cool to see, it also undoubtedly would've done things to Shyamalan's future which could've been greatly detrimental. After the "Indy" project fell apart, Shyamalan made one of his best films in 2002's "Signs," something which he may not have done had "Indy" gone forward. This was also the time when the filmmaker was publicly touted as "The Next Spielberg," a comparison which put undue pressure on him already, so if he'd actually made a film with Spielberg, that pressure likely would've become worse. As such, it's probably a good thing that Shyamalan's "Indiana Jones 4" didn't end up happening. That said, as Shyamalan stated in the aforementioned interview, he still has his notebooks with his ideas for the movie. Although the "Indiana Jones" films proper have apparently come to a conclusion, the prospect of a post-"Trap" Shyamalan getting to make a spooky period adventure film sounds pretty darn exciting, doesn't it? Perhaps he should crack those notebooks open; a great movie emerging from a failed sequel has happened before, after all.