There was a time when Harrison Ford was the most successful actor in the world. He also was the most recognized face on the globe and held the record of being the highest paid, and busiest actor for a full decade.
Now Ford is 65 years old and many were wondering if he still had the chops to play such an aggressive action-hero like Indiana Jones, especially after 27 years of first wearing that famous hat or cracking his equally famous whip.
Well, if the new trailer for the George Lucas/Steven Spielberg creation “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is any indication then Ford still has it in spades.
The film will be officially launched in theaters on May 22, 2008, but the trailer has been out for two weeks now making its rounds in theaters across the country and early indications are it is absolutely wowing the audiences who view it. They are actually cheering upon seeing the 65-year old Ford, as Indiana Jones, flying through the air and landing on trucks and fighting the bad guys as if time has stood still for the legendary actor and they are seeing him in his prime.
However, the real clue if this film will be a rousing success can be measured by the more younger, online savvy audience who have been following the trailer on the net. The result? Overwhelming enthusiasm from the younger set who weren’t even a twinkle in their old man’s eye when Ford first hit the silver screen as the famous action hero archeaologist back in 1981 in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” In fact, for many even their fathers weren’t old enough to go to a theater without adult supervision. Most in that age group are calling this the most anticipated film for 2008.
“The trailer caught on like wildfire, around the world, in all mediums,” said Gerry Rich, Paramount’s president of worldwide marketing. “From 8 to 80. The response has been sensational and it shows what technology can do when you have material that is so appealing to audiences.”
While Paramount is happy that its older audiences are happy to see another Indy film, what thrills the studio most however is its prime ticket-buying demographic, the younger viewers, who are also thrilled and ready to spend money to see it. What also makes studio execs smile is that if this movie does as well as expected with younger moviegoers it can justify continuing the Jones saga with actor Shia LeBeouf, who can go on with the series for a new generation as the son of Indiana Jones, following in the adventureous footsteps of his legendary father. This explains their aggressive online campaign. Paramount says that there has been a record 4.1 million views on the Yahoo movie site in the first week of the trailer’s release and 2.6 million on the official IndianaJones.com site, according to a report in Yahoo News. This record setter is the most online hits ever for the studio’s new trailer release.
“It looks to be THE highly anticipated movie of the summer,” said Mark Mazrimas, marketing manager for independent theater chain Classic Cinemas. However, “this hasn’t been on the screen for so long, [it] is capturing the youth.”
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