When it comes to the greatest blockbuster movie franchises of all time, we’d rank Indiana Jones right up there with Star Wars. Steven Spielberg and George Lucas’ ode to 1940s adventure serials produced some of the best films of the 80s and introduced audiences to one of the most iconic heroes in movie history in its titular adventure-seeking archaeologist (it still kind of blows our mind that Harrison Ford gets to be both Han Solo AND Indiana Jones).
Though the franchise’s legacy was tarnished somewhat by an ill-advised fourth movie, the first three films are certified classics and each one contains a variety of standout moments and choice one-liners. With Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford returning to shoot a fifth Indiana Jones film set to release in 2021 (please, please be good!), we thought it might be fun to take a look back at all four previous films (yes, we’re counting Kingdom of the Crystal Skull – it’s not great but it’s not terrible either) and their treasure trove of Easter eggs and hidden details you may not have uncovered.
31. Star Wars Connections (Raiders of the Lost Ark)
Considering Star Wars creator George Lucas co-created Indiana Jones alongside Steven Spielberg – not to mention that the film was produced by Lucasfilm – it’s no surprise that Lucas found a way to throw in some callbacks to a galaxy far, far away in Raiders of the Lost Ark. The first Easter egg appears at the beginning of the movie just after Indy escapes from the rolling boulder chamber with the golden idol in hand. The sea-plane he escapes in has a serial number that reads OB-CPO, a subtle reference to the characters Obi-Wan Kenobi and C-3PO.
The second Easter egg is a two-parter and appears in the Well of Souls scene. When Indy and Sallah are getting ready to remove the stone lid off the sarcophagus containing the ark, there’s a wall of hieroglyphics behind them that depicts Princess Leia inserting the Death Star plans into R2-D2, as well as the appearance of C-3PO and R2-D2 mere moments later on a golden pillar in the same room. And if you want to get really obscure with it, some of the weeds in the later Well of Souls scene with the snakes were brought over from the Dagobah set of The Empire Strikes Back.
Source: Screenshot via Paramount Pictures