Claim: George Lucas was the creator of Indiana Jones.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a 2008 American action adventure film . It is the fourth installment in the Indiana Jones series created by George Lucas and directed by Steven Spielberg . Released nineteen years after the previous film , the film acknowledges the age of its star Harrison Ford by being set in 1957 . It pays tribute to the science fiction B-movies of the era , pitting Indiana Jones against Soviet agents -- led by Irina Spalko -LRB- Cate Blanchett -RRB- -- searching for a telepathic crystal skull . Indiana is aided by his former lover , Marion Ravenwood -LRB- Karen Allen -RRB- , and their son , Mutt Williams -LRB- Shia LaBeouf -RRB- . Ray Winstone , John Hurt and Jim Broadbent are also part of the supporting cast .   Screenwriters Jeb Stuart , Jeffrey Boam , Frank Darabont , and Jeff Nathanson wrote drafts before David Koepp 's script satisfied the producers . Shooting began on June 18 , 2007 , at various locations in New Mexico ; New Haven , Connecticut ; Hawaii ; and Fresno , California , as well as on sound stages in Los Angeles . To maintain aesthetic continuity with the previous films , the crew relied on traditional stunt work instead of computer-generated stunt doubles , and cinematographer Janusz Kamiński studied Douglas Slocombe 's style from the previous films .   The film premiered at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival on May 18 , 2008 , and was released worldwide on May 22 , 2008 to generally positive reviews from critics , although audience reception was more mixed . There was significant praise for the performances , action scenes , John Williams ' musical score , and the costume design . Criticism , however , focused on the dialogue , storyline , pacing , and overuse of CGI . It was also a financial success like the previous three films in the series , grossing over $ 786 million worldwide , becoming the franchise 's highest-grossing film when not adjusted for inflation , and the second highest-grossing film of 2008 . Marketing relied heavily on the public 's nostalgia for the series , with products taking inspiration from all four films . Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is also the last film in the series to be distributed by Paramount Pictures , as Walt Disney Studios has become the distributor of its future films , since its parent company 's acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012 . It will be followed by an untitled fifth film planned for release on July 10 , 2020 , in which both Spielberg and Ford will return .