Raiders of the Lost Ark - Wikipedia Raiders of the Lost Ark This article is about the film. For other uses, see Raiders of the Lost Ark ( disambiguation ). Raiders of the Lost Ark Theatrical release poster by Richard Amsel Directed by Steven Spielberg Produced by Frank Marshall Screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan Story by George Lucas Philip Kaufman Starring Harrison Ford Karen Allen Paul Freeman Ronald Lacey John Rhys - Davies Denholm Elliott Music by John Williams Cinematography Douglas Slocombe Edited by Michael Kahn Production company Lucasfilm Ltd. Distributed by Paramount Pictures Release date June 12, 1981 ( 1981 - 06 - 12 ) Running time 115 minutes Country United States Language English Budget $18 million Box office $389.9 million Raiders of the Lost Ark ( also known as Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark ) is a 1981 American action adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Lawrence Kasdan from a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. It was produced by Frank Marshall for Lucasfilm Ltd., with Lucas and Howard Kazanjian as executive producers. The first installment in the Indiana Jones film franchise, it stars Harrison Ford as archaeologist Indiana Jones, who battles a group of Nazis searching for the Ark of the Covenant. It co-stars Karen Allen as Indiana 's former lover, Marion Ravenwood ; Paul Freeman as Indiana 's rival, French archaeologist René Belloq ; John Rhys - Davies as Indiana 's sidekick, Sallah ; Ronald Lacey as Gestapo agent Arnold Toht ; and Denholm Elliott as Indiana 's colleague, Marcus Brody. The film originated from Lucas ' desire to create a modern version of the serials of the 1930s and 1940s. Production was based at Elstree Studios, England, but filming also took place in La Rochelle, France, Tunisia, Hawaii, and California from June to September 1980. Raiders of the Lost Ark became 1981 's top - grossing film and remains one of the highest - grossing films. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards in 1982, including Best Picture, and won for Best Art Direction, Film Editing, Sound, and Visual Effects with a fifth Academy Award : a Special Achievement Award for Sound Effects Editing. It is often considered one of the greatest films ever made. In 1999, it was included in the U.S. Library of Congress ' National Film Registry as `` culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant ''. The film began a franchise including several sequels, a television series, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles ( 1992 -- 1996 ), and numerous video games. Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 3.1 Development 3.2 Filming 3.3 Visual effects and sound design 3.4 Music 4 Release 4.1 Merchandise 4.2 Home media 5 Reception 5.1 Box office 5.2 Critical reception 5.3 Accolades 6 Impact 6.1 2012 replica mystery 7 See also 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External links Plot In 1936, archaeologist Indiana Jones braves an ancient booby - trapped temple in Peru and retrieves a golden idol. He is confronted by rival archaeologist René Belloq and the indigenous Hovito people. Surrounded and outnumbered, Jones surrenders the idol to Belloq and escapes aboard a waiting floatplane. Jones returns to his teaching position at Marshall College, where he is interviewed by two Army Intelligence agents. They inform Jones that the Nazis are searching for his old mentor, Abner Ravenwood, under whom Jones studied at the University of Chicago. The Nazis know that Ravenwood is the leading expert on the ancient city of Tanis in Egypt, and that he possesses the headpiece of the Staff of Ra. Jones deduces that the Nazis are searching for the Ark of the Covenant -- the Nazis believe that if they acquire the Ark, their armies will become invincible. The Staff of Ra is the key to finding the Well of Souls, a secret chamber in which the Ark is buried. The agents authorize Jones to recover the Ark to prevent the Nazis from obtaining it. He travels to Nepal and discovers that Ravenwood has died, and the headpiece is in the possession of Ravenwood 's daughter Marion. Jones visits Marion at her tavern, where she reveals her bitter feelings toward him from a previous romantic affair. She physically rebuffs his offer to buy the headpiece, and Jones leaves. Shortly after, a group of thugs arrive with their Nazi commander Arnold Toht. Toht threatens Marion to get the headpiece but Jones returns to the bar and fights the Nazis to save Marion. During the fight the bar is set ablaze and the headpiece lands in the flames. Toht severely burns his hand trying to take the hot headpiece and flees the tavern screaming. Jones and Marion escape with the headpiece, and Marion decides to accompany Jones in his search for the Ark so he can repay his debt to her. The pair travels to Cairo, where they meet up with Jones ' friend and skilled digger Sallah. Sallah informs them that Belloq and the Nazis are digging for the Well of Souls with a replica of the headpiece ( created from the scar on Toht 's hand ). They quickly realize the Nazi headpiece is incomplete and that the Nazis are digging in the wrong place. The Nazis kidnap Marion and it appears to Jones that she is killed in an exploding truck. After a confrontation with Belloq in a local bar, Jones and Sallah infiltrate the Nazi dig site and use their staff to correctly locate the Ark. Jones discovers Marion is alive when he finds her bound and gagged in a tent. He refuses to release her out of fear of alerting the Nazis. Jones, Sallah, and a small group of diggers unearth the Well of Souls and acquire the Ark. Belloq and Nazi officer Colonel Dietrich arrive and seize the Ark from Jones, throwing Marion into the Well of Souls with him before sealing it back up. Jones and Marion escape to a local airstrip, where Jones has a fistfight with a Nazi mechanic and destroys the flying wing that was to transport the Ark to Berlin. The panicked Nazis remove the Ark in a truck and set off for Cairo, but Jones catches them and retakes it. He makes arrangements to take the Ark to London aboard a tramp steamer. The next day, a Nazi U-boat appears and intercepts the ship. Belloq and Dietrich seize the Ark and Marion but can not locate Jones, who stows away aboard the U-boat and travels with them to an island in the Aegean Sea. Once there, Belloq plans to test the power of the Ark before presenting it to Hitler. Jones reveals himself and threatens to destroy the Ark with an RPG - 2, but Belloq calls his bluff and Jones surrenders rather than destroy such an important historical artifact and kill Marion in the process. The Nazis take Jones and Marion to an area where the Ark will be opened and tie them to a post to observe. Belloq, dressed as an Israelite high priest, performs a ceremonial opening of the Ark and finds it full of sand. Suddenly, angelic ghost - like beings emerge from the Ark and Jones cautions Marion to keep her eyes closed and not to look no matter what happens. Belloq and the others look on in astonishment as the apparitions are suddenly revealed to be angels of death. A vortex of flame forms above the Ark and shoots bolts of fiery energy into the gathered Nazi soldiers, killing them all. As Belloq, Toht and Dietrich all scream in terror the Ark turns its fury on them : Dietrich 's head shrivels up, Toht 's face is melted off his skull and Belloq 's head explodes. Flames then engulf the remains of the doomed assembly, save for Jones and Marion, and the pillar of fire rises into the sky. The Ark 's lid is blasted high into the air before dropping back down onto the Ark and sealing it. Jones and Marion find their ropes burned off and embrace. In Washington, D.C., the Army Intelligence agents inform Jones and Marcus Brody that the Ark is someplace safe and will be studied by `` top men ''. The Ark is then shown being stored in a giant government warehouse among countless similar crates. Cast See also : List of Indiana Jones characters Harrison Ford as Dr. Henry `` Indiana '' Jones Jr., an archaeology professor who often embarks on perilous adventures to obtain rare artifacts. Jones claims that he has no belief in the supernatural, only to have his skepticism challenged when he discovers the Ark. Spielberg suggested casting Ford as Jones, but Lucas objected, stating that he did not want Ford to become his `` Bobby De Niro '' or `` that guy I put in all my movies '' -- a reference to Martin Scorsese, who often worked with Robert De Niro. Desiring a lesser known actor, Lucas persuaded Spielberg to help him search for a new talent. Among the actors who auditioned were Tim Matheson, Peter Coyote, John Shea, and Tom Selleck. Selleck was originally offered the role, but became unavailable for the part because of his commitment to the television series Magnum, P.I.. In June 1980, three weeks away from filming, Spielberg persuaded Lucas to cast Ford after producers Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy were impressed by his performance as Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back. Paul Freeman as Dr. René Belloq, Jones ' rival. Belloq is also an archaeologist after the Ark, but he is working for the Nazis. He intends to harness the Ark 's power himself before Hitler can, but he is killed by the Ark 's supernatural powers. Spielberg cast Freeman after seeing him in Death of a Princess. Before Freeman got the part, actor Giancarlo Giannini was originally going to portray Belloq, while singer Jacques Dutronc auditioned for the role, but they lost out to Freeman. Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood, a spirited, tough former lover of Indiana 's. She is the daughter of Abner Ravenwood, Indiana Jones ' mentor, and owns a bar in Nepal. Allen was cast after auditioning with Matheson and John Shea. Spielberg was interested in her, as he had seen her performance in National Lampoon 's Animal House. Sean Young had previously auditioned for the part, while Debra Winger turned it down. John Rhys - Davies as Sallah, `` the best digger in Egypt '' according to Indiana, who has been hired by the Nazis to help them excavate Tanis. He is an old friend of Indiana, and agrees to help him obtain the Ark, though he fears disturbing it. Spielberg initially approached Danny DeVito to play Sallah, but he could not play the part due to scheduling conflicts. Spielberg cast Rhys - Davies after seeing his performance in Shōgun. Ronald Lacey as Major Arnold Toht, an interrogator for the Gestapo and Jones ' nemesis, who tries to torture Marion Ravenwood for the headpiece of the Staff of Ra. He is killed by the Ark 's supernatural powers. Lacey was cast as he reminded Spielberg of Peter Lorre. Spielberg had originally offered the role to Roman Polanski, who was intrigued at the opportunity to work with Spielberg but decided to turn down the role because he would n't be able to make the trip to Tunisia. Klaus Kinski was also offered the role, but he hated the script, calling it `` moronically shitty ''. Michael Sheard, who ended portraying Captain Oskar Schomburg in the film, also auditioned for the role, but he lost out to Lacey. Denholm Elliott as Dr. Marcus Brody, a museum curator, who buys the artifacts Indiana obtains for display in his museum. The U.S. government agents approach him with regard to the Ark 's recovery, and he sets up a meeting between them and Indiana Jones. Spielberg hired Elliott as he was a big fan of the actor, who had performed in some of his favorite British and American films. Wolf Kahler as Colonel Dietrich, a ruthless German officer leading the operation to secure the Ark. He is killed by the Ark 's supernatural powers. Alfred Molina, in his film debut, as Satipo, one of Jones ' guides through the South American jungle. He betrays Jones and steals the golden idol, but is killed by traps before he can leave the temple. George Harris as Simon Katanga, captain of the Bantu Wind. Anthony Higgins as Major Gobler, Colonel Dietrich 's right - hand - man. Vic Tablian as Barranca and the Monkey Man. Don Fellows as Colonel Musgrove, an Army Intelligence agent. William Hootkins as Major Eaton, an Army Intelligence agent. Producer Frank Marshall played a pilot in the airplane fight sequence. The stunt team was ill, so he took the role instead. The result was three days in a hot cockpit, which he joked was over `` 140 degrees ''. Pat Roach plays the Nazi mechanic with whom Jones brawls in this sequence, as well as a massive sherpa who battles Jones in Marion 's bar. He had the rare opportunity to be killed twice in one film. Special - effects supervisor Dennis Muren made a cameo as a Nazi spy on the seaplane Jones takes from San Francisco to Manila. Production Development In 1973, George Lucas wrote The Adventures of Indiana Smith. Like Star Wars, which he also wrote, it was an opportunity to create a modern version of the film serials of the 1930s and 1940s. Lucas discussed the concept with Philip Kaufman, who worked with him for several weeks and came up with the Ark of the Covenant as the plot device. Kaufman was told about the Ark by his dentist when he was a child. The project stalled when Clint Eastwood hired Kaufman to direct The Outlaw Josey Wales. Lucas shelved the idea, deciding to concentrate on his outer space adventure that would become Star Wars. In late May 1977, Lucas was in Hawaii, trying to escape the enormous success of Star Wars. Friend and colleague Steven Spielberg was also there, on vacation from work on Close Encounters of the Third Kind. While building a sand castle at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Spielberg expressed an interest in directing a James Bond film. Lucas convinced his friend Spielberg that he had conceived a character `` better than James Bond '' and explained the concept of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Spielberg loved it, calling it `` a James Bond film without the hardware '', although he told Lucas that the surname ' Smith ' was not right for the character. Lucas replied, `` OK. What about ' Jones ' ? '' Indiana was the name of Lucas ' Alaskan Malamute, whose habit of riding in the passenger seat as Lucas drove was also the inspiration for Star Wars ' Chewbacca. Spielberg was at first reluctant to sign on, as Lucas had told him that he would want Spielberg for an entire trilogy, and Spielberg did not want to work on two more scripts. Lucas told him, however, that he already had the next two movies written, so Spielberg agreed. But when the time came for the first sequel, it was revealed that Lucas had nothing written for either sequel. The following year, Lucas focused on developing Raiders and the Star Wars sequel The Empire Strikes Back, during which Lawrence Kasdan and Frank Marshall joined the project as screenwriter and producer respectively. Between January 23 -- 27, 1978, for nine hours a day, Lucas, Kasdan, and Spielberg discussed the story and visual ideas. Spielberg came up with Jones being chased by a boulder, which was inspired by Carl Barks ' Uncle Scrooge comic `` The Seven Cities of Cibola ''. Lucas later acknowledged that the idea for the idol mechanism in the opening scene and deadly traps later in the film were inspired by several Uncle Scrooge comics. Lucas came up with a submarine, a monkey giving the Hitler salute, and Marion punching Jones in Nepal. Kasdan used a 100 - page transcript of their conversations for his first script draft, which he worked on for six months. Ultimately, some of their ideas were too grand and had to be cut : a mine chase, an escape in Shanghai using a rolling gong as a shield, and a jump from an airplane in a raft, all of which made it into the prequel, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Spielberg and Lucas disagreed on the character : although Spielberg saw him as a Bondian playboy, Lucas felt the character 's academic and adventurer elements made him complex enough. Spielberg had a darker vision of Jones, interpreting him as an alcoholic similar to Humphrey Bogart 's character Fred C. Dobbs in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre ( 1948 ). This characterization fell away during the later drafts, though elements survive in Jones 's reaction when he believes Marion to be dead. Costume designer Deborah Nadoolman credits Secret of the Incas ( 1954 ), starring Charlton Heston, as an influence on the development of the character, noting that the crew watched the film together several times. Nadoolman based the look of Ford 's costume on that of Heston 's, and observed that Indiana is a `` kinder and gentler '' Harry Steele. Initially, the film was rejected by every major studio in Hollywood, mostly due to the $20 million budget and the deal Lucas was offering. Eventually Paramount agreed to finance the film, with Lucas negotiating a five - picture deal. By April 1980, Kasdan 's fifth draft was produced, and production was getting ready to shoot at Elstree Studios, with Lucas trying to keep costs down. With four illustrators, Raiders of the Lost Ark was Spielberg 's most storyboarded film of his career to date, further helping the film economically. He and Lucas agreed on a tight schedule to keep costs down and to follow the `` quick and dirty '' feel of the old Saturday matinée serials. Special effects were done using puppets, miniature models, animation, and camera trickery. `` We did n't do 30 or 40 takes ; usually only four. It was like silent film -- shoot only what you need, no waste '', Spielberg said. `` Had I had more time and money, it would have turned out a pretentious movie. '' Filming Principal photography began on June 23, 1980, at La Rochelle, France, with scenes involving the Nazi submarine, which had been rented from the production of Das Boot. The U-boat pen was a real one from World War II. The crew moved to Elstree Studios for the Well of Souls scenes, the opening sequence temple interiors and Marion Ravenwood 's bar. The Well of Souls scene required 7,000 snakes. The only venomous snakes were the cobras, but one crew member was bitten on set by a python. The bulk of the snakes ' numbers were made up with giant but harmless legless lizards known as Scheltopusiks ( Pseudopus apodus ) which occur from the Balkan Peninsula of southeastern Europe to Central Asia. Growing to 1.3 m they are the largest legless lizards in the world and are often mistaken for snakes despite some very obvious differences such as the presence of eyelids and external ear openings, which are both absent from all snakes, and a notched rather than forked tongue. In the finished film, during the scene in which Indiana comes face - to - face with the cobra, a reflection in glass screen that protected Ford from the snake was seen, an issue that was corrected in the 2003 digitally - enhanced re-release. Unlike Indiana, neither Ford nor Spielberg has a fear of snakes, but Spielberg said that seeing all the snakes on the set writhing around made him `` want to puke ''. The opening scene in the Peruvian jungle was filmed on the island of Kauai, one of the islands of Hawaii, to which Spielberg would return for Jurassic Park. The first shot features a misty view of Kalalea Mountain, the culminating point in Anahola, Hawaii. The `` temple '' location is on the Huleia River, on the Kipu Ranch, south from Kaumualii Highway on the east coast, just south of Lihue, the island 's main town. Kipu is a working cattle ranch, not generally open to the public. The Peruvian section ( but actually filmed in Hawaii ) featured live tarantulas of a Mexican species ( Brachypelma ) on Harrison Ford and Alfred Molina, and are harmless to humans, and in fact of a species which are commonly kept as exotic pets. A fiberglass boulder 22 feet ( 7 m ) in diameter was made for the scene where Indiana escapes from the temple ; Spielberg was so impressed by production designer Norman Reynolds ' realization of his idea that he gave the boulder a more prominent role in the film and told Reynolds to let the boulder roll another 50 feet ( 15 m ). The scenes set in Egypt were filmed in Tunisia, and the canyon where Indiana threatens to blow up the Ark was shot in Sidi Bouhlel, just outside Tozeur. The canyon location had been used for the Tatooine scenes from 1977 's Star Wars ( many of the location crew members were the same for both films ) where R2 - D2 was attacked by Jawas. The Tanis scenes were filmed in nearby Sedala, a harsh place due to heat and disease. Several cast and crew members fell ill and Rhys - Davies defecated in his costume during one shot. Spielberg averted disease by eating only canned foods from England, but did not like the area and quickly condensed the scheduled six - week shoot to four - and - a-half weeks. Much was improvised : the scene where Marion puts on her dress and attempts to leave Belloq 's tent was improvised as was the entire plane fight. During that scene 's shooting, a wheel went over Ford 's knee and tore his left leg 's cruciate ligament, but he refused local medical help and simply put ice on it. The fight scenes in the town were filmed in Kairouan, while Ford was suffering from dysentery. Stuntman Terry Richards had practiced for weeks with his sword to create the scripted fight scene, choreographing a fight between the swordsman and Jones ' whip. However, after filming the initial shots of the scene, after lunch due to Ford 's dysentery, Ford and Spielberg agreed to cut the scene down to a gunshot, with Ford saying to Spielberg `` Let 's just shoot the sucker ''. It was later voted in at No. 5 on Playboy magazine 's list of best all time scenes. Most of the truck chase was shot by second unit director Michael D. Moore following Spielberg 's storyboards, including Indiana being dragged by the truck ( performed by stuntman Terry Leonard ), in tribute to a famous Yakima Canutt stunt. Spielberg then filmed all the shots with Ford himself in and around the truck cab. Lucas directed a few other second unit shots, in particular the monkey giving the Nazi salute. The interior staircase set in Washington, D.C. was filmed in San Francisco 's City Hall. The University of the Pacific 's campus in Stockton, California, stood in for the exterior of the college where Jones works, while his classroom and the hall where he meets the American intelligence agents was filmed at the Royal Masonic School for Girls in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, England, which was again used in The Last Crusade. His home exteriors were filmed in San Rafael, California. Opening sequence exteriors were filmed in Kauai, Hawaii, with Spielberg wrapping in September in 73 days, finishing under schedule in contrast to his previous film, 1941. The Washington, D.C. coda, although it appeared in the script 's early drafts, was not included in early edits but was added later when it was realized that there was no resolution to Jones ' relationship with Marion. Shots of the Douglas DC - 3 Jones flies on to Nepal were taken from Lost Horizon, and a street scene was from a shot in The Hindenburg. Filming of Jones boarding a Boeing Clipper flying - boat was complicated by the lack of a surviving aircraft. Eventually, a post-war British Short Solent flying - boat formerly owned by Howard Hughes was located in California and substituted. Visual effects and Sound design The special visual effects for Raiders were provided by Industrial Light & Magic and include : a matte shot to establish the Pan Am flying boat in the water and miniature work to show the plane taking off and flying, superimposed over a map ; animation effects for the beam in the Tanis map room ; and a miniature car and passengers superimposed over a matte painting for a shot of a Nazi car being forced off a cliff. The bulk of effects shots were featured in the climactic sequence wherein the Ark of the Covenant ( which was designed by Brian Muir and Keith Short ) is opened and God 's wrath is unleashed. This sequence featured animation, a woman to portray a beautiful spirit 's face, rod puppet spirits moved through water to convey a sense of floating, a matte painting of the island, and cloud tank effects to portray clouds. The melting of Toht 's head was done by exposing a gelatine and plaster model of Ronald Lacey 's head to a heat lamp with an under - cranked camera, while Dietrich 's crushed head was a hollow model from which air was withdrawn. When the film was originally submitted to the Motion Picture Association of America, it received an R rating because of the scene in which Belloq 's head explodes. The filmmakers were able to receive a PG rating when they added a veil of fire over the exploding head scene. ( PG - 13 rating was not created until 1984. ) The firestorm that cleanses the canyon at the finish was a miniature canyon filmed upside down. Ben Burtt, the sound effects supervisor, made extensive use of traditional foley work in yet another of the production 's throwbacks to days of the Republic serials. He selected a. 30 - 30 Winchester rifle for the sound of Jones ' pistol. Sound effects artists struck leather jackets and baseball gloves with a baseball bat to create a variety of punching noises and body blows. For the snakes in the Well of Souls sequence, fingers running through cheese casserole and sponges sliding over concrete were used for the slithering noises. The sliding lid on a toilet cistern provided the sound for the opening of the Ark, and the sound of the boulder in the opening is a car rolling down a gravel driveway in neutral. Burtt also used, as he did in many of his films, the ubiquitous Wilhelm scream when a Nazi falls from a truck. In addition to his use of such time - honored foley work, Burtt also demonstrated the modern expertise honed during his award - winning work on Star Wars. He employed a synthesizer for the sounds of the Ark, and mixed dolphins ' and sea lions ' screams for those of the spirits within. The final scene, where the Ark is placed in a vast warehouse, was Spielberg 's homage to Citizen Kane, where Kane 's lost childhood sled, `` Rosebud '', is similarly treated. Music `` The Raiders March '' ( 1981 ) Raiders of the Lost Ark Problems playing this file ? See media help. Main article : Raiders of the Lost Ark ( soundtrack ) John Williams composed the score for Raiders of the Lost Ark, which was the only score in the series performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, the same orchestra that performed the scores for the Star Wars saga. The score most notably features the well - known `` Raiders March ''. This piece came to symbolize Indiana Jones and was later used in the scores for the other three films. Williams originally wrote two different candidates for Jones 's theme, but Spielberg enjoyed them so much that he insisted that both be used together in what became the `` Raiders March ''. The alternately eerie and apocalyptic theme for the Ark of the Covenant is also heard frequently in the score, with a more romantic melody representing Marion and, more broadly, her relationship with Jones. The score as a whole received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Score, but lost to the score to Chariots of Fire composed by Vangelis. Release Merchandise The only video game based exclusively on the film is Raiders of the Lost Ark, released in 1982 by Atari for their Atari 2600 console. The first third of the video game Indiana Jones ' Greatest Adventures, released in 1994 by JVC for Nintendo 's Super Nintendo Entertainment System, is based entirely on the film. Several of the film 's sequences are reproduced ( the boulder run and the showdown with the Cairo Swordsman among them ) ; however, several inconsistencies with the film are present in the game, such as Nazi soldiers and bats being present in the Well of Souls sequence, for example. The game was developed by LucasArts and Factor 5. In the 1999 game Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine, a bonus level brings Jones back to the Peruvian temple of the film 's opening scene. In 2008, to coincide with the release of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Lego released the Lego Indiana Jones line -- which included building sets based on Raiders of the Lost Ark -- and LucasArts published a video game based on the toyline, Lego Indiana Jones : The Original Adventures, which was developed by Traveller 's Tales. Marvel Comics published a comic book adaptation of the film by writer Walt Simonson and artists John Buscema and Klaus Janson. It was published as Marvel Super Special # 18 and as a three - issue limited series. This was followed with the comic book series The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones which was published monthly from January 1983 through March 1986. In 1981, Kenner released a 12 - inch ( 30 cm ) doll of Indiana Jones, and the following year they released nine action figures of the film 's characters, three playsets, as well as toys of the Nazi truck and Jones ' horse. They also released a board game. In 1984, miniature metal versions of the characters were released for a role playing game, The Adventures of Indiana Jones, and in 1995 Micro Machines released die - cast toys of the film 's vehicles. Hasbro released action figures based on the film, ranging from 3 to 12 inches ( 7.6 to 30.5 cm ), to coincide with Kingdom of the Crystal Skull on May 1, 2008. Later in 2008, and in 2011, two high - end sixth scale ( 1 : 6 ) collectible action figures were released by Sideshow Collectibles, and Hot Toys, Ltd. respectively. A novelization by Ryder Windham was released in April 2008 by Scholastic to tie in with the release of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. A previous novelization by Scottish author Campbell Armstrong ( under the pseudonym Campbell Black ) was concurrently released with the film in 1981. A book about the making of the film was also released, written by Derek Taylor. Home media The film was released on VHS, Betamax and VideoDisc in pan and scan only, and on laserdisc in both pan and scan and widescreen. For its 1999 VHS re-issue, the film was remastered in THX and made available in widescreen. The outer package was retitled Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark for consistency with the film 's prequel and sequel. The subsequent DVD release in 2003 features this title as well. The title in the film itself remains unchanged, even in the restored DVD print. In the DVD, two subtle digital revisions were added. First, a connecting rod from the giant boulder to an offscreen guidance track in the opening scene was removed from behind the running Harrison Ford ; second, a reflection in the glass partition separating Ford from the cobra in the Well of Souls was removed. Shortly before the theatrical release of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Raiders ( along with The Temple of Doom and The Last Crusade ) was re-released on DVD with additional extra features not included on the previous set on May 13, 2008. The film was released on Blu - ray Disc in September 2012. Previously, only Kingdom of the Crystal Skull had been available on Blu - ray. Reception Box Office Raiders of the Lost Ark opened at # 14 and grossed $1,673,731 from 267 theaters ( $6,269 theater average ) during its opening weekend. In total, the IMAX release grossed $3,125,613 domestically. The film, made on an $ 18 million budget, grossed $384 million worldwide throughout its theatrical releases. In North America, it was by some distance the highest - grossing film of 1981, and remains one of the top twenty - five highest - grossing films ever made when adjusted for inflation. Box Office Mojo estimates that the film sold more than 70 million tickets in the US in its initial theatrical run. Critical reception The film was subsequently nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture, in 1982 and won four ( Best Sound, Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects, and Best Art Direction - Set Decoration ( Norman Reynolds, Leslie Dilley, and Michael D. Ford ). It also received a Special Achievement Award for Sound Effects Editing. It won numerous other awards, including a Grammy Award and Best Picture at the People 's Choice Awards. Spielberg was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award. The film was highly acclaimed by critics and audiences alike. In his review for The New York Times, Vincent Canby praised the film, calling it, `` one of the most deliriously funny, ingenious and stylish American adventure movies ever made. '' Roger Ebert in his review for the Chicago Sun - Times wrote, `` Two things, however, make Raiders of the Lost Ark more than just a technological triumph : its sense of humor and the droll style of its characters (... ) We find ourselves laughing in surprise, in relief, in incredulity at the movie 's ability to pile one incident upon another in an inexhaustible series of inventions. '' He later added it to his list of `` Great Movies ''. Rolling Stone said the film was `` the ultimate Saturday action matinee -- a film so funny and exciting it can be enjoyed any day of the week. '' Bruce Williamson of Playboy claimed : `` There 's more excitement in the first ten minutes of Raiders than any movie I have seen all year. By the time the explosive misadventures end, any movie - goer worth his salt ought to be exhausted. '' Stephen Klain of Variety also praised the film. Yet, making an observation that would revisit the franchise with its next film, he felt that the film was surprisingly violent and bloody for a PG - rated film. There were some dissenting voices : Sight & Sound described it as an `` expensively gift - wrapped Saturday afternoon pot - boiler '', and New Hollywood champion Pauline Kael, who once contended that she only got `` really rough '' on large films that were destined to be hits but were nonetheless `` atrocious '', found the film to be a `` machine - tooled adventure '' from a pair of creators who `` think just like the marketing division ''. ( Lucas later named a villain, played by Raiders Nazi strongman Pat Roach, in his 1988 fantasy film Willow after Kael. ) Years later, screenwriter Paul Schrader, of Taxi Driver acclaim, considers the date of the decline of American cinema as the release of Raiders of the Lost Ark, viewing it to be simply a bad movie. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 95 % `` Certified Fresh '' rating with a 9.2 / 10 average rating. The sites critical consensus stating : `` Featuring bravura set pieces, sly humor, and white - knuckle action, Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of the most consummately entertaining adventure pictures of all time. '', as well as an 85 % rating on Metacritic, indicating `` universal acclaim ''. Accolades Awards and nominations Association Category Nominee ( s ) Result Ref. Academy Awards Best Picture Frank Marshall Nominated Best Director Steven Spielberg Nominated Best Art Direction Norman Reynolds, Leslie Dilley, and Michael D. Ford Won Best Cinematography Douglas Slocombe Nominated Best Film Editing Michael Kahn Won Best Original Score John Williams Nominated Best Sound Bill Varney, Steve Maslow, Gregg Landaker, and Roy Charman Won Best Sound Effects Editing Ben Burtt, and Richard L. Anderson Won Best Visual Effects Richard Edlund, Kit West, Bruce Nicholson, and Joe Johnston Won Golden Globe Awards Best Director Steven Spielberg Nominated BAFTA Awards Best Film Frank Marshall Nominated Best Actor in a Supporting Role Denholm Elliott Nominated Best Film Music John Williams Nominated Best Cinematography Douglas Slocombe Nominated Best Editing Michael Kahn Nominated Best Sound Bill Varney, Steve Maslow, Gregg Landaker, and Roy Charman Nominated Hugo Awards Best Dramatic Presentation Won Saturn Awards Best Fantasy Film Won Best Director Steven Spielberg Won Best Actor Harrison Ford Won Best Actress Karen Allen Won Best Supporting Actor Paul Freeman Nominated Best Writing Lawrence Kasdan Won Best Music John Williams Won Best Costume Deborah Nadoolman Nominated Best Special Effects Richard Edlund Won American Film Institute AFI 's 100 Years... 100 Movies -- No. 60 AFI 's 100 Years... 100 Thrills -- No. 10 AFI 's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains : Indiana Jones -- No. 2 Hero AFI 's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes : `` Snakes ! Why did it have to be snakes ? '' -- Nominated AFI 's 100 Years of Film Scores -- Nominated AFI 's 100 Years... 100 Movies ( 10th Anniversary Edition ) -- No. 66 Impact Following the success of Raiders, a prequel, The Temple of Doom, and two sequels, The Last Crusade and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, were produced, with a third sequel set for release in 2020. A television series, entitled The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, was also spun off from this film, and details the character 's early years. Numerous other books, comics, and video games have also been produced. In 1998, the American Film Institute placed the film at number 60 on its top 100 films of the first century of cinema. In 2007, AFI updated the list and placed it at number 66. They also named it as the 10th most thrilling film, and named Indiana Jones as the second greatest hero. In 1999, the film was deemed `` culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant '' by the U.S. Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. Indiana Jones has become an icon, being listed as Entertainment Weekly 's third favorite action hero, while noting `` some of the greatest action scenes ever filmed are strung together like pearls '' in this film. An amateur, near shot - for - shot remake was made by Chris Strompolos, Eric Zala, and Jayson Lamb, then children in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. It took the boys seven years to finish, from 1982 to 1989. After production of the film, called Raiders of the Lost Ark : The Adaptation, it was shelved and forgotten until 2003, when it was discovered by Eli Roth and acclaimed by Spielberg himself, who congratulated the boys on their hard work and said he looked forward to seeing their names on the big screen. Scott Rudin and Paramount Pictures purchased the trio 's life rights with the goal of producing a film based on their adventures making their remake. In 2014, film director Steven Soderbergh published an experimental black - and - white version of the film, with the original soundtrack and dialogue replaced by an electronic soundtrack. Soderbergh said his intention was to encourage viewers to focus on Spielberg 's extraordinary staging and editing : `` This filmmaker forgot more about staging by the time he made his first feature than I know to this day. '' Assessing the film 's legacy in 1997, Bernard Weinraub, film critic for The New York Times, which had initially reviewed the film as `` deliriously funny, ingenious, and stylish '', maintained that `` the decline in the traditional family G - rated film, for ' general ' audiences, probably began '' with the appearance of Raiders of the Lost Ark. `` Whether by accident or design, '' found Weinraub, `` the filmmakers made a comic nonstop action film intended mostly for adults but also for children. '' Eight years later, in 2005, viewers of Channel 4 rated the film as the 20th - best family film of all time, with Spielberg taking best over-all director honors. On Empire magazine 's list of the 500 Greatest Movies of All Time, Raiders ranked second, beaten only by The Godfather. The film was ranked at number 11 in a list of the 25 best action and war films of all time by The Guardian. In conjunction with the Blu - ray release, a limited one - week release in IMAX theaters was announced for September 7, 2012. Steven Spielberg and sound designer Ben Burtt supervised the format conversion. No special effects or other visual elements were altered, but the audio was enhanced for surround sound. 2012 replica mystery In December 2012, the University of Chicago 's admissions department received a package in the mail addressed to Henry Walton Jones, Jr., Indiana Jones ' full name. The address on the stamped package was listed for a hall that was the former home of the university 's geology and geography department. Inside the manila envelope was a detailed replica journal similar to the one Jones used in the movie, as well as postcards and pictures of Marion Ravenwood. The admissions department posted pictures of the contents on its Internet blog, looking for any information about the package. It was discovered that the package was part of a set to be shipped from Guam to Italy that had been sold on eBay. The package with the journal had fallen out in transit and a postal worker had sent it to the university, as it had a complete address and postage, which turned out to be fake. All contents were from a Guam `` prop replicator '' who sells them all over the world. The university will display its replica in the main lobby of the Oriental Institute. See also Film in the United States portal 1980s portal References Jump up ^ `` RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK ( A ) ''. British Board of Film Classification. June 2, 1981. Retrieved March 8, 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Raiders of the Lost Ark ( 1981 ) ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 9, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Back to the Future -- Hollywood 's 100 Favorite Films ''. Jump up ^ `` 100 Best Movies of All Time by Mr. Showbiz ''. www.filmsite.org. Jump up ^ `` The 100 Greatest Movies ''. Empire. Jump up ^ `` AFI 's 100 Years... 100 Movies ''. www.afi.com. Jump up ^ `` The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time ''. Empire. ^ Jump up to : Indiana Jones : Making the Trilogy ( DVD ) format = requires url = ( help ). Paramount Pictures. 2003. ^ Jump up to : Knolle, Sharon ( June 12, 2011 ). `` 30 Things You Might Not Know About ' Raiders of the Lost Ark ' ''. Moviefone. Retrieved August 10, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Facts and trivia of the Lost Ark ''. Lucasfilm. October 14, 2003. Archived from the original on May 18, 2007. Retrieved March 11, 2007. ^ Jump up to : Hearn, pp. 127 - 134 Jump up ^ `` The People Who Were Almost Cast ''. Empire Online. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved May 23, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Raiders of the Lost Ark ''. TheRaider.net. Retrieved 2017 - 07 - 11. Jump up ^ Gregory Kirschling, Jeff Labrecque ( March 12, 2008 ). `` Indiana Jones : 15 Fun Facts ''. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 15, 2008. Jump up ^ Polanski, Roman ; Cronin, Paul ( January 1, 2005 ). `` Roman Polanski : Interviews ''. University Press of Mississippi. Retrieved December 22, 2016 -- via Google Books. Jump up ^ Glenn Whipp ( May 22, 2008 ). `` Keeping up with Jones ''. Halifax Chronicle - Herald. Archived from the original on March 9, 2009. Retrieved May 22, 2008. Jump up ^ Kinski, Klaus ( 1996 ). Kinski Uncut. Translated by Joachim Neugröschel. London : Bloomsbury. p. 294. ISBN 0 - 7475 - 2978 - 7. Jump up ^ `` Interviews ''. TheRaider.net. 2003 - 04 - 03. Retrieved 2017 - 07 - 11. Jump up ^ The Stunts of Indiana Jones ( DVD ). Paramount Pictures. 2003. ^ Jump up to : The Light and Magic of Indiana Jones ( DVD ) format = requires url = ( help ). Paramount Pictures. 2003. Jump up ^ Marcus Hearn ( 2005 ). The Cinema of George Lucas. New York : Harry N. Abrams Inc, Publishers. p. 80. ISBN 0 - 8109 - 4968 - 7. ^ Jump up to : Hearn, pp. 112 -- 115 Jump up ^ `` Know Your MacGuffins ''. Empire. April 23, 2008. Retrieved April 23, 2008. Jump up ^ Jim Windolf ( December 2, 2007 ). `` Q&A : Steven Spielberg ''. Vanity Fair. Retrieved December 2, 2007. ^ Jump up to : McBride, Joseph ( 1997 ). `` Rehab ''. Steven Spielberg. New York City : Faber and Faber. pp. 309 -- 322. ISBN 0 - 571 - 19177 - 0. Jump up ^ E. Summer, Walt Disney 's Uncle $ crooge McDuck : His Life and Times by Carl Barks, Celestial Arts ed., 1981 ; T. Andrae, Carl Barks and the Art of the Disney Comic Book, Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2006. Jump up ^ Hearn, p. 122 -- 123 Jump up ^ Script 3rd Draft Archived April 21, 2012, at the Wayback Machine., scene 45 - 47 Jump up ^ Script 3rd Draft Archived April 21, 2012, at the Wayback Machine., scene 148 -- 155 Jump up ^ Raiders Story Conference Transcript, 1978. p. 5 Jump up ^ Mike French & Gilles Verschuere ( September 14, 2005 ). `` Debora Nadoolman interview ''. TheRaider.net. Archived from the original on March 27, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Raiders Of The Lost Ark : An Oral History ''. Empire. April 24, 2008. Retrieved April 24, 2008. ^ Jump up to : Richard Schickel ( January 19, 2008 ). `` Slam ! Bang ! A Movie Movie ''. Time. Retrieved January 19, 2008. ^ Jump up to : Fromter, Marco ( August 18, 2006 ). `` Around the World with Indiana Jones ''. Lucasfilm. Archived from the original on February 7, 2007. Retrieved March 11, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Worldwide guide to movie locations ''. Movie-locations.com. Jump up ^ Norman Reynolds ( Production Designer ). Making the Trilogy ( DVD ). Event occurs at 17 : 40. Steven said ' Why do n't we make it another 50ft longer ? ' Which of course we did Jump up ^ Taylor, Derek ( 1981 ). The Making of Raiders of The Lost Ark. Ballantine Books. ^ Jump up to : `` Indiana Jones Stuntman Terry Richards Interview ''. Red Carpet News. 2012. Retrieved June 24, 2014. Jump up ^ `` The Urban Legends of Indiana Jones ''. Lucasfilm. January 13, 2004. Archived from the original on June 12, 2007. Retrieved March 11, 2007. Jump up ^ Hayward, Anthony ( July 9, 2014 ). `` Terry Richards : Stuntman who battled four James Bonds, Luke Skywalker and Rambo and was famously shot dead by Indiana Jones ''. The Independent. Jump up ^ `` Twenty - Five Reasons to Watch Raiders Again ''. Lucasfilm. June 12, 2006. Archived from the original on June 10, 2007. Retrieved March 11, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Oakland Aviation Museum ''. Archived from the original on November 12, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2009. Jump up ^ Smith, Thomas G. Industrial Light & Magic : The Art of Special Effects. p. 140. 1986 Jump up ^ Smith, Thomas G. Industrial Light & Magic : The Art of Special Effects. p. 66. 1986 ^ Jump up to : Smith, Thomas G. Industrial Light & Magic : The Art of Special Effects. p. 62. 1986 Jump up ^ The Sound of Indiana Jones ( DVD ) format = requires url = ( help ). Paramount Pictures. 2003. Jump up ^ McGee, Scott ( 2011 - 08 - 12 ). `` Citizen Kane ( 1941 ) ''. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 2017 - 10 - 16. Director Steven Spielberg paid homage to the famous ending of Citizen Kane with the epilogue to Raiders of the Lost Ark ( 1981 )... buried in a vast warehouse, much like the fate of `` Rosebud ''... Jump up ^ John Williams ( 2003 ). The Music of Indiana Jones ( DVD ) format = requires url = ( help ). Paramount Pictures. Jump up ^ Buchanan, Levi ( May 20, 2008 ). `` Top 10 Indiana Jones Games ''. IGN. Retrieved October 11, 2011. Jump up ^ Buchanan, Levi ( November 24, 2009 ). `` Indiana Jones ' Greatest Adventures Review ''. IGN. Retrieved October 11, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine -- PC Preview ''. IGN. November 2, 1999. Retrieved October 11, 2011. Jump up ^ `` LEGO Group Secures Exclusive Construction Category Rights to Indiana Jones ( TM ) Property '' ( Press release ). The LEGO Group. 2007. Retrieved October 11, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Lego Indiana Jones : The Original Adventures Company Line ''. GameSpot. April 11, 2008. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved April 5, 2012. Jump up ^ `` GCD : : Issue : : Marvel Super Special # 18 ''. comics.org. Retrieved December 22, 2016. Jump up ^ Raiders of the Lost Ark at the Grand Comics Database. Jump up ^ `` The Adventures of Indiana Jones ''. Cool Toy Review. Retrieved February 21, 2008. Jump up ^ Edward Douglas ( February 16, 2008 ). `` Hasbro Previews G.I. Joe, Hulk, Iron Man, Indy & Clone Wars ''. SuperHeroHype.com. Retrieved February 17, 2008. Jump up ^ Miss Cellania ( May 21, 2008 ). `` 10 Awesome Indiana Jones Facts ''. Mental floss. Archived from the original on May 25, 2008. Retrieved May 24, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Own it on Blu - ray & Digital Download Tuesday, September 18 ''. Lucasfilm. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Raiders of the Lost Ark ( IMAX ) ( 2012 ) ''. Box Office Mojo. 2012 - 10 - 04. Retrieved 2016 - 11 - 13. Jump up ^ `` 1981 Domestic Grosses ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 13, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Box Office Mojo Alltime Adjusted ''. Retrieved July 13, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Raiders of the Lost Ark ( 1981 ) ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 31, 2016. Jump up ^ Tom O'Neil ( May 8, 2008 ). `` Will ' Indiana Jones, ' Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford come swashbuckling back into the awards fight ? ''. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 8, 2008. Jump up ^ Vincent Canby ( June 12, 1981 ). `` Raiders of the Lost Ark ''. The New York Times. Retrieved May 21, 2007. Jump up ^ Roger Ebert ( January 1, 1981 ). `` Raiders of the Lost Ark ''. Chicago Sun - Times. Retrieved May 21, 2007. Jump up ^ Roger Ebert ( April 30, 2000 ). `` Raiders of the Lost Ark ( 1981 ) ''. Chicago Sun - Times. Retrieved June 4, 2007. Jump up ^ Rolling Stone, June 25, 1981. Jump up ^ Michael G. Ryan. `` Raiders of the Lost Ark 20th Anniversary ''. Star Wars Insider. July / August 2001. Jump up ^ Stephen Klain ( June 5, 1981 ). `` Raiders of the Lost Ark ''. Variety. Retrieved June 4, 2007. Jump up ^ `` On Now ''. Sight & Sound ( Autumn ed. ). British Film Institute ( BFI ). 50 ( 4 ) : 288. 1981. ^ Jump up to : Lawrence Van Gelder ( September 4, 2001 ). `` Pauline Kael, Provocative and Widely Imitated New Yorker Film Critic, Dies at 82 ''. The New York Times. Retrieved July 13, 2008. Jump up ^ Pauline Kael ( June 15, 1981 ). `` Whipped ''. The New Yorker. Retrieved July 13, 2008. Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Jump up ^ `` Raiders of the Lost Ark ''. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 19, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Raiders of the Lost Ark ''. Metacritic. Jump up ^ `` The 54th Academy Awards ( 1982 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved October 8, 2011. Jump up ^ `` The 39th Annual Golden Globe Awards ( 1982 ) ''. Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Archived from the original on November 24, 2010. Retrieved August 27, 2011. Jump up ^ Galvan, Manuel ( September 7, 1982 ). `` Science - fiction awards given to out - of - this - world writers ''. Chicago Tribune. p. 16. Retrieved April 10, 2012. Jump up ^ Chitwood, Adam ( April 25, 2017 ). `` ' Indiana Jones 5 ' Delayed a Year ; Disney Shifts ' Wreck - It Ralph 2 ', ' Gigantic ' and More ''. Collider. Retrieved August 6, 2017. Jump up ^ Marc Bernadin ( October 23, 2007 ). `` 25 Awesome Action Heroes ''. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 11, 2007. Jump up ^ Harry Knowles ( May 31, 2003 ). `` Raiders of the Lost Ark shot - for - shot teenage remake review ! ! ! ''. Ai n't It Cool News. Retrieved March 11, 2007. Jump up ^ Jim Windolf. `` Raiders of the Lost Backyard ''. Vanity Fair. Retrieved April 23, 2009. Jump up ^ Sarah Hepola ( May 30, 2003 ). `` Lost Ark Resurrected ''. Austin Chronicle. Retrieved March 11, 2007. Jump up ^ Harry Knowles ( February 26, 2004 ). `` Sometimes, The Good Guys Win ! ! ! Raiders of the Lost Ark shot for shot filmmakers ' life to be MOVIE ! ! ! ''. Ai n't It Cool News. Retrieved March 11, 2007. Jump up ^ Dave McNary ( February 25, 2004 ). `` Rudin 's on an ' Ark ' lark ''. Variety. Retrieved April 23, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Raiders ''. Extension765.com. Jump up ^ Vincent Canby ( June 12, 1981 ). `` Raiders of the Lost Ark ( 1981 ) ''. The New York Times. Retrieved July 13, 2008. Jump up ^ Bernard Weinraub ( July 22, 1997 ). `` Movies for Children, and Their Parents, Are Far From ' Pollyanna ' ''. The New York Times. Retrieved July 13, 2008. Jump up ^ `` ET Crowned ' Greatest Family Film ' ''. BBC News Online. December 23, 2005. Retrieved July 13, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Empire 500 Greatest Movies of All Time ''. Empire. Retrieved May 28, 2012. Jump up ^ Heritage, Stuart ( October 19, 2010 ). `` Raiders of the Lost Ark : No 11 best action and war film of all time ''. the Guardian. Jump up ^ `` Beat it, Kingsman : the 24 greatest action movies of all time ''. Jump up ^ `` The 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time, Feature Movies -- Empire ''. gb : Empireonline.com. 2015 - 12 - 11. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved 2016 - 11 - 13. Jump up ^ Itzkoff, Dave ( August 14, 2012 ). `` That 's a Big Boulder, Indy : Steven Spielberg on the Imax Rerelease of ' Raiders of the Lost Ark ' ''. New York Times. Retrieved August 15, 2012. Jump up ^ Schwartz, Terri ( December 18, 2012 ). `` ' Raiders of the Lost Ark ' mystery solved -- Package 's origins determined ''. Screener. Retrieved December 18, 2012. Further reading Black, Campbell ( September 1987 ). Raiders of the Lost Ark. Ballantine Books. ISBN 0 - 345 - 35375 - 7. Kasdan, Lawrence ( 1981 ). Raiders of the Lost Ark : The Illustrated Screenplay. Ballantine Books. ISBN 0 - 345 - 30327 - X. Taylor, Derek ( August 1981 ). The Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Ballantine Books. ISBN 0 - 345 - 29725 - 3. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Raiders of the Lost Ark. Wikiquote has quotations related to : Raiders of the Lost Ark IndianaJones.com, Lucasfilm 's official Indiana Jones site, later replace with Facebook Raiders of the Lost Ark at Lucasfilm.com Raiders of the Lost Ark on IMDb Raiders of the Lost Ark at the TCM Movie Database Raiders of the Lost Ark at Box Office Mojo Raiders of the Lost Ark at Rotten Tomatoes Raiders of the Lost Ark at Metacritic Raiders of the Lost Ark on YouTube Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark ( 1981 ) Video game Soundtrack Temple of Doom ( 1984 ) Video game ( NES ) Soundtrack Last Crusade ( 1989 ) Video games Soundtrack Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ( 2008 ) Soundtrack Television The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles ( 1992 -- 1993 ) episodes Characters Indiana Jones Marion Ravenwood Sallah Marcus Brody Henry Jones, Sr. Mutt Williams Games Video games Lost Kingdom Revenge of the Ancients Fate of Atlantis The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles The Pinball Adventure Instruments of Chaos Greatest Adventures Desktop Adventures Infernal Machine Emperor 's Tomb Lego Indiana Jones : The Original Adventures Staff of Kings Lego Indiana Jones 2 : The Adventure Continues Adventure World Role - playing games The Adventures of Indiana Jones The World of Indiana Jones Tomb of the Templars Books The Peril at Delphi The Dance of the Giants The Seven Veils The Philosopher 's Stone Comics Iron Phoenix Spear of Destiny Tomb of the Gods Other media Lego Indiana Jones The Raiders of the Lost Brick Raiders of the Lost Ark : The Adaptation Indyfans and the Quest for Fortune and Glory Golden Idol Montana Jones Attractions Epic Stunt Spectacular ! Temple du Péril Indiana Jones Adventure Indiana Jones Summer of Hidden Mysteries Category Portal Steven Spielberg Filmography Awards and nominations Films directed Firelight ( 1964 ) Slipstream ( 1967 ) Amblin ' ( 1968 ) Night Gallery ( `` Eyes '' segment, 1969 ) L.A. 2017 ( 1971 ) Duel ( 1971 ) Something Evil ( 1972 ) Savage ( 1973 ) The Sugarland Express ( 1974, also wrote ) Jaws ( 1975 ) Close Encounters of the Third Kind ( 1977, also wrote ) 1941 ( 1979 ) Raiders of the Lost Ark ( 1981 ) E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ( 1982 ) Twilight Zone : The Movie ( `` Kick the Can '' segment, 1983 ) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom ( 1984 ) The Color Purple ( 1985 ) Empire of the Sun ( 1987 ) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ( 1989 ) Always ( 1989 ) Hook ( 1991 ) Jurassic Park ( 1993 ) Schindler 's List ( 1993 ) The Lost World : Jurassic Park ( 1997 ) Amistad ( 1997 ) Saving Private Ryan ( 1998 ) A.I. Artificial Intelligence ( 2001, also wrote ) Minority Report ( 2002 ) Catch Me If You Can ( 2002 ) The Terminal ( 2004 ) War of the Worlds ( 2005 ) Munich ( 2005 ) Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ( 2008 ) The Adventures of Tintin ( 2011 ) War Horse ( 2011 ) Lincoln ( 2012 ) Bridge of Spies ( 2015 ) The BFG ( 2016 ) The Post ( 2017 ) Ready Player One ( 2018 ) Films written Ace Eli and Rodger of the Skies ( 1973 ) Poltergeist ( 1982, also produced ) The Goonies ( 1985 ) Films produced An American Tail : Fievel Goes West ( 1991 ) Memoirs of a Geisha ( 2005 ) Flags of Our Fathers ( 2006 ) Letters from Iwo Jima ( 2006 ) Super 8 ( 2011 ) The Hundred - Foot Journey ( 2014 ) Television Amazing Stories ( 1985 -- 87 ) High Incident ( 1996 -- 97 ) Invasion America ( 1998 ) See also Steven Spielberg bibliography Amblin Partners Amblin Entertainment Amblin Television DreamWorks Television Amblimation DreamWorks USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education George Lucas filmography Films directed Feature THX 1138 ( 1971 ) American Graffiti ( 1973 ) Star Wars ( 1977 ) Star Wars : Episode I -- The Phantom Menace ( 1999 ) Star Wars : Episode II -- Attack of the Clones ( 2002 ) Star Wars : Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith ( 2005 ) Short Look at Life ( 1965 ) Herbie ( 1965 ) Freiheit ( 1966 ) 1 : 42.08 ( 1966 ) Electronic Labyrinth : THX 1138 4EB ( 1967 ) The Emperor ( 1967 ) Anyone Lived in a Pretty How Town ( 1967 ) 6 - 18 - 67 ( 1967 ) Filmmaker ( 1968 ) Bald : The Making of THX 1138 ( 1971, uncredited ) Films written The Empire Strikes Back ( 1980 ) Raiders of the Lost Ark ( 1981 ) Return of the Jedi ( 1983 ) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom ( 1984 ) Captain EO ( 1986 ) Willow ( 1988 ) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ( 1989 ) Radioland Murders ( 1994 ) Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ( 2008 ) Strange Magic ( 2015 ) Films produced The Rain People ( 1969, associate ) More American Graffiti ( 1979 ) Kagemusha ( 1980 ) Body Heat ( 1981 ) Twice Upon a Time ( 1983 ) Latino ( 1985 ) Mishima : A Life in Four Chapters ( 1985 ) Labyrinth ( 1986 ) Howard the Duck ( 1986 ) Star Tours ( 1987 ) Powaqqatsi ( 1988 ) Tucker : The Man and His Dream ( 1988 ) The Land Before Time ( 1988 ) Star Wars : The Clone Wars ( 2008 ) Star Tours -- The Adventures Continue ( 2011 ) Red Tails ( 2012 ) Television Caravan of Courage : An Ewok Adventure ( 1984 ) Ewoks : The Battle for Endor ( 1985 ) Star Wars : Ewoks ( 1985 - 86 ) Star Wars : Droids ( 1985 - 86 ) The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles ( 1992 - 96 ) Star Wars : Clone Wars ( 2003 - 05 ) The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones Documentaries ( 2007 - 08 ) Star Wars : The Clone Wars ( 2008 - 14 ) Star Wars Detours ( Cancelled ) Related American Zoetrope Indiana Jones Lucasfilm ILM LucasArts Lucasfilm Animation Skywalker Sound Pixar Skywalker Ranch Star Wars The Star Wars Corporation THX Edutopia Links to related articles Lucasfilm Productions Films American Graffiti ( 1973 ) Star Wars ( 1977 ) More American Graffiti ( 1979 ) The Empire Strikes Back ( 1980 ) Raiders of the Lost Ark ( 1981 ) Return of the Jedi ( 1983 ) Twice Upon a Time ( 1983 ) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom ( 1984 ) Latino ( 1985 ) Mishima : A Life in Four Chapters ( 1985 ) Labyrinth ( 1986 ) Howard the Duck ( 1986 ) Tucker : The Man and His Dream ( 1988 ) Willow ( 1988 ) The Land Before Time ( 1988 ) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ( 1989 ) Radioland Murders ( 1994 ) Star Wars : Episode I -- The Phantom Menace ( 1999 ) Star Wars : Episode II -- Attack of the Clones ( 2002 ) Star Wars : Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith ( 2005 ) Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ( 2008 ) Star Wars : The Clone Wars ( 2008 ) Red Tails ( 2012 ) Strange Magic ( 2015 ) Star Wars : The Force Awakens ( 2015 ) Rogue One ( 2016 ) Star Wars : The Last Jedi ( 2017 ) Solo ( 2018 ) TV series Star Wars : Droids ( 1985 -- 86 ) Star Wars : Ewoks ( 1985 -- 86 ) Maniac Mansion ( 1990 -- 93 ) The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles ( 1992 -- 93 ) Star Wars : Clone Wars ( 2003 -- 05 ) Star Wars : The Clone Wars ( 2008 -- 14 ) Star Wars Rebels ( 2014 -- 18 ) Lego Star Wars : The Freemaker Adventures ( 2016 -- present ) Star Wars Resistance ( 2018 ) Star Wars Detours ( unaired ) TV films Caravan of Courage : An Ewok Adventure ( 1984 ) Ewoks : The Battle for Endor ( 1985 ) Theme park films Captain EO ( 1986 ) Star Tours ( 1987 ) ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter ( 1995 ) Star Tours -- The Adventures Continue ( 2011 ) Franchises Star Wars Indiana Jones Related productions THX 1138 ( 1971 ) Divisions Industrial Light & Magic Skywalker Sound Lucasfilm Animation LucasArts Former divisions The Droid Works EditDroid SoundDroid Kerner Optical Pixar THX People George Lucas ( Founder ) Kathleen Kennedy ( President ) Howard Roffman ( EVP, Franchise Management ) Parent : Walt Disney Studios ( The Walt Disney Company ) Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation The Incredible Shrinking Man ( 1958 ) no award ( 1959 ) The Twilight Zone ( 1960 ) The Twilight Zone ( 1961 ) The Twilight Zone ( 1962 ) Dr. Strangelove or : How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb ( 1965 ) `` The Menagerie '' ( Star Trek ) ( 1967 ) `` The City on the Edge of Forever '' ( Star Trek ) ( 1968 ) 2001 : A Space Odyssey ( 1969 ) News coverage of Apollo 11 ( 1970 ) A Clockwork Orange ( 1972 ) Slaughterhouse - Five ( 1973 ) Sleeper ( 1974 ) Young Frankenstein ( 1975 ) A Boy and His Dog ( 1976 ) Star Wars ( 1978 ) Superman ( 1979 ) Alien ( 1980 ) The Empire Strikes Back ( 1981 ) Raiders of the Lost Ark ( 1982 ) Blade Runner ( 1983 ) Return of the Jedi ( 1984 ) 2010 ( 1985 ) Back to the Future ( 1986 ) Aliens ( 1987 ) The Princess Bride ( 1988 ) Who Framed Roger Rabbit ( 1989 ) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ( 1990 ) Edward Scissorhands ( 1991 ) Terminator 2 : Judgment Day ( 1992 ) `` The Inner Light '' ( Star Trek : The Next Generation ) ( 1993 ) Jurassic Park ( 1994 ) `` All Good Things... '' ( Star Trek : The Next Generation ) ( 1995 ) `` The Coming of Shadows '' ( Babylon 5 ) ( 1996 ) `` Severed Dreams '' ( Babylon 5 ) ( 1997 ) Contact ( 1998 ) The Truman Show ( 1999 ) Galaxy Quest ( 2000 ) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ( 2001 ) The Lord of the Rings : The Fellowship of the Ring ( 2002 ) Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film The Golden Voyage of Sinbad ( 1973 ) Doc Savage : The Man of Bronze ( 1974 / 75 ) The Holes ( 1976 ) Oh, God ! ( 1977 ) Heaven Can Wait ( 1978 ) The Muppet Movie ( 1979 ) Somewhere in Time ( 1980 ) Raiders of the Lost Ark ( 1981 ) The Dark Crystal ( 1982 ) Something Wicked This Way Comes ( 1983 ) Ghostbusters ( 1984 ) Ladyhawke ( 1985 ) The Boy Who Could Fly ( 1986 ) The Princess Bride ( 1987 ) Who Framed Roger Rabbit ( 1988 ) Ghost ( 1989 / 90 ) Edward Scissorhands ( 1991 ) Aladdin ( 1992 ) The Nightmare Before Christmas ( 1993 ) Forrest Gump ( 1994 ) Babe ( 1995 ) Dragonheart ( 1996 ) Austin Powers ( 1997 ) The Truman Show ( 1998 ) Being John Malkovich ( 1999 ) Frequency ( 2000 ) The Lord of the Rings : The Fellowship of the Ring ( 2001 ) The Lord of the Rings : The Two Towers ( 2002 ) The Lord of the Rings : The Return of the King ( 2003 ) Spider - Man 2 ( 2004 ) Batman Begins ( 2005 ) Superman Returns ( 2006 ) Enchanted ( 2007 ) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button ( 2008 ) Watchmen ( 2009 ) Alice in Wonderland ( 2010 ) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2 ( 2011 ) Life of Pi ( 2012 ) Her ( 2013 ) The Hobbit : The Battle of the Five Armies ( 2014 ) Cinderella ( 2015 ) The Jungle Book ( 2016 ) GND : 7700032 - 8 LCCN : n84173837 VIAF : 223411466 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Raiders_of_the_Lost_Ark&oldid=846456259 '' Categories : 1981 films English - language films Indiana Jones films American films 1980s action films 1980s adventure films 1980s supernatural films American action adventure films American action films American adventure films Films scored by John Williams Films directed by Steven Spielberg Films produced by Frank Marshall Films set in 1936 Films set in Egypt Films set in Nepal Films set in Peru Films set in Washington, D.C. 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Question: what is indiana jones looking for in raiders of the lost ark
Answer: the Ark of the Covenant