Raiders of the Lost Ark[a] is a 1981 American action-adventure film
directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan based on a
story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. It stars Harrison Ford,
Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey, John Rhys-Davies and Denholm
Elliott. Ford portrays Indiana Jones, a globe-trotting archaeologist,
vying with Nazi forces in 1936, to recover the long-lost Ark of the
Covenant, a relic said to make an army invincible. Teaming up with his
tough, former lover Marion Ravenwood (Allen), Jones races to stop
rival archaeologist Dr. René Belloq (Freeman) from guiding the Nazis
to the Ark and its power.Lucas conceived Raiders of the Lost Ark in
the early 1970s. He wanted to modernize the serial films of the early
20th-century. Lucas developed the idea further with Kaufman, who
suggested the Ark as the film's goal. Lucas eventually focused on
developing his 1977 space opera Star Wars. Development on Raiders of
the Lost Ark resumed that year when Lucas shared the idea with
Spielberg; he joined the project several months later. While the pair
had ideas for significant scenes in the film, they hired Kasdan to
fill in the gaps between them. Principal photography began in June
1980 on a $20 million budget. Filming took place on sets at Elstree
Studios, England, and on location in La Rochelle, France, Tunisia,
Hawaii and California.Though pre-release polling showed little
audience interest in the film, especially compared to the superhero
film Superman II, Raiders of the Lost Ark became the highest-grossing
film of 1981, earning approximately $330.5 million worldwide. It
played in some theaters for over a year because of its popularity. It
was a critical success, receiving praise for its modern take on older
serial films, and its non-stop action and adventure. The cast were all
praised, particularly Ford, Allen and Freeman. Raiders of the Lost Ark
received numerous award nominations and, among others, won five
Academy Awards, seven Saturn Awards, and one BAFTA award.
directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan based on a
story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. It stars Harrison Ford,
Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey, John Rhys-Davies and Denholm
Elliott. Ford portrays Indiana Jones, a globe-trotting archaeologist,
vying with Nazi forces in 1936, to recover the long-lost Ark of the
Covenant, a relic said to make an army invincible. Teaming up with his
tough, former lover Marion Ravenwood (Allen), Jones races to stop
rival archaeologist Dr. René Belloq (Freeman) from guiding the Nazis
to the Ark and its power.Lucas conceived Raiders of the Lost Ark in
the early 1970s. He wanted to modernize the serial films of the early
20th-century. Lucas developed the idea further with Kaufman, who
suggested the Ark as the film's goal. Lucas eventually focused on
developing his 1977 space opera Star Wars. Development on Raiders of
the Lost Ark resumed that year when Lucas shared the idea with
Spielberg; he joined the project several months later. While the pair
had ideas for significant scenes in the film, they hired Kasdan to
fill in the gaps between them. Principal photography began in June
1980 on a $20 million budget. Filming took place on sets at Elstree
Studios, England, and on location in La Rochelle, France, Tunisia,
Hawaii and California.Though pre-release polling showed little
audience interest in the film, especially compared to the superhero
film Superman II, Raiders of the Lost Ark became the highest-grossing
film of 1981, earning approximately $330.5 million worldwide. It
played in some theaters for over a year because of its popularity. It
was a critical success, receiving praise for its modern take on older
serial films, and its non-stop action and adventure. The cast were all
praised, particularly Ford, Allen and Freeman. Raiders of the Lost Ark
received numerous award nominations and, among others, won five
Academy Awards, seven Saturn Awards, and one BAFTA award.
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