Movies - TV
Clint Eastwood's Outlaw Josey Wales Majorly Changed Raiders of the Lost Ark
By ERIC VESPE
Although the first “Star Wars” movie had come out several years before “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” George Lucas had thought up Indiana Jones first.
Lucas struggled with developing his movie and turned to fellow filmmaker Philip Kaufman for ideas, who would later be credited with bringing the Ark of the Covenant into the film.
However, Kaufman had a prior commitment with “The Outlaw Josey Wales,” so his involvement in “Raiders” was limited. Lucas shelved the project and instead made “Star Wars.”
Kaufman’s preoccupation with “Josey Wales” would open the door for Steven Spielberg to take charge of the project, as the director believed in the potential of Indiana Jones.
Harrison Ford might also have never had the chance to play the Nazi-fighting archaeologist if Lucas hadn’t put developing “Raiders” on hold to create “Star Wars.”
It’s uncertain what could have happened had Kaufman decided to pursue “Raiders” instead of “Josey Wales,” but his decision led to the creation of one of the greatest action films.