When it comes to Raiders of the Lost Ark sequels, you can find out what happened before it took place; what happened when Indy was considerably older; or what happened when he was really old. So what happened when he was only a little older—like maybe a week older? He got younger.
At least that’s the story of Little Indiana Jones and the Secret of the Magic Scrolls, the latest kid fest from Wachtell Studios. Taking liberties with George Lucas and Steven Spielberg’s creation, this flick finds Indy and Marion (played by adults) kidnapped by the brother of Belloq (the bad guy who melted at the end of Raiders) and forced to find magic scrolls that will resurrect the drippy bad guy. In order to get the sacred treasure, however, Indy must explore a cursed cave—anyone who enters becomes a little kid again forever—and you can see where this is going. Can Indy get the scrolls? Does he save Marion? Will he have to buy pint-sized fedoras via mail-order for eternity? Find out more, and see the movie, after the jump.
As the father of a young Indiana Jones-obsessed child, Jordan H. Wachtell, the producer/co-writer of the flick, decided to turn his son’s fantasy into a reality by creating the film to feature young Preston, a rather daring first grader. It’s not the first time the six-year-old star has gone before the camera; he also headlined his dad’s previous fan film as well—last year’s Little Batman series.
As with the previous film, Little Indy features considerable use of locations around the New York City suburbs of Harrison and Ardsley; there’s also sizable sets, legit costuming, snakes, an army truck that Indy is dragged behind (!) and of course, dozens of little kids. Unlike the Little Batman series, however, Little Indy never gets tedious, benefiting from a faster pace, a shorter story, and the smart move of having almost all the exposition handled by adult actors. That frees up the kids to, you know, be loud and have fun.
One of the nice things about the flick is that while it’s an indulgence (as are all fan films), it never quite tips over into the realm of “this is only interesting if it’s your kid on the screen.” That’s likely due to the crew behind the camera; Wachtell, Sr. reports, “Many professionals from all over the world have donated their time to help us make this the greatest independent little kid adventure film ever.”
In style fitting for a group of young movie makers, the kid stars recently walked the red carpet on December 13th, when the movie premiered at the Tribeca Cinemas in New York City.
Little Indiana Jones and the Secret of the Magic Scrolls–Part One.
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Little Indiana Jones and the Secret of the Magic Scrolls–Part Two.
How fun! I am a huge Indiana Jones fan- this looks like a great film! I would love to someday make a film as big as Indiana Jones, but realize that it would take some time- there is a lot that goes into making a film, as I just recently discovered after reading “Clearance and Copyright ” by Michael C. Donaldson. Really opened my eyes to all of the copyright laws that have to be considered when making a film.