| The plot thickens! ComicCon came and went without an announcement on the Indiana Jones IV title, but news has emerged today that LucasFilm has filed six possible titles for the sequel with the MPAA - any of which may or may not turn out to be the real thing (cause that Lucas and Spielberg can be a bit tricksy, you know). Here are the six titles, with our best guesses as to plot: Indiana Jones and the City of Gods: Indy and son head to Rio in search of the perfect bikini for Marion Ravenwood, and find themselves in the middle of a gang war in the city's biggest slum. Ahem. But seriously, this could carry on the series' general Judeo-Christian theme. And it is the one that we had been tipped off about a few months back...
Indiana Jones and the Destroyer of Worlds: Seems a bit over the top, this title, but it's worth noting that this piece of Hindu scripture is associated with the first nuclear test on July 6, 1945. That might fit in with the 1950s Cold War setting. Indiana Jones and the Fourth Corner of the Earth: Indy finds the lost continent of Atlantis, full of lots of little men in diving helmets teaching philosophy. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: Well, it could be a reference to that Damien Hirst bit with the diamonds, but there is a modern legend that thirteen crystal skulls exist around the globe, of ancient origin and full of mystical power (power to do what is less clear). Five have apparently been found already, and it's already been rumoured that they could provide a MacGuffin for the picture. Still, kinda corny title. Indiana Jones and the Lost City of Gold: The Central American legend of El Dorado's always been fertile ground for filmmakers and, amazingly, Indy's never been near it (unless you count a German Young Indiana Jones novel, which we don't). Or it could be a quest to find all 39 episodes of the Mysterious Cities of Gold, but perhaps that's less likely. Indiana Jones and the Quest for the Covenant: Indy goes in search of...that Renny Harlin film of last year, about teen models with magical powers? Or not. It could of course be the Ark of the Covenant, but he found that once already and it'd be kinda careless if he had to find it again. This could refer to any number of things - "the covenant" is the sort of phrase that crops up in Dan Brown novels to refer to some evil organisation but it doesn't really mean anything. So, what have we learned? Well, very little. The fact that cities are mentioned in two titles might mean it's fractionally more likely to be one of those; the fact that the crystal skulls have already been rumoured might give credence to that title; the Destroyer of Worlds bit would sit best against a nuclear background. And of course, it might be none of these - other titles may follow to the MPAA. But it's food for thought this Monday morning, and might provide our first clue to the plot of the next instalment. | 
