Paramount PicturesIndy's back, and the timing couldn't be better. Look for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull to set the all-time, five-day box-office record.
Indy is iconic. Older audiences who never felt much for Pirates of the Caribbean's Captain Jack Sparrow, or even Spider-Man's Peter Parker, connect with Indy. And younger audiences have rediscovered the franchise on HD-DVDs and flat-screen TVs, just as my generation did on dusty videotapes and, god forbid, LaserDiscs.
Also, there's the Shia Factor. Dude could read the phone book, and young America would line up and buy a ticket.
Coming off two slower than expected weekends for family films (Speed Racer stunk, and nobody cared much about Chronicles of Narnia), the stage has been set for a massive Indy opening.
Think I'm too gassed on one of film's last living franchises? Think Shia won't get the kids to show up? You're bugging! Put your numbers up....