Who's The Daddy?

I know a couple of people either close-ish to Indiana Jones IV or very close to people very close to Indiana Jones IV but, by and large, they're not talking. And when they are talking, they are talking pretty cryptically and with strict non-disclosure terms attached. There's no other way to put it: it sucks.

But I can read between the lines, and I can tell certain things for myself, and I can make the odd educated guess and... sometimes, I can get lucky and hear something nobody knows I heard though it's typically about white goods or some such trivia.

But, honestly, compared to the sources Chud have, say, I've got nothing. Zilch. Nada.

Which makes it all the more amazing to me that I have the little crumb I'm about to offer you.

John Hurt has been playing coy about his role in the film. I think I know why. Now, it seems that Hurt is playing Abner Ravenwood, the father of Karen Allen's character - not as otherwise rumoured, Albert Einstein.

Was all of this Abner Ravenwood action in the script just a few months ago? Doesn't look like it. So, what happened? Where did he get such a decent part from?

As far as I can tell from the silly grins, non committal comments and constant hushing, Abner Ravenwood has been given all of the material originally intended for Henry Jones Sr. I'm not sure if he even existed before the contingency was cooked up to ensure the film would survive a Connery refusal.

John Hurt is, quite literally, the daddy now.

I'm going to keep asking questions, and see what else I can dig up. One of you will break... won't you? Please?

The Indiana Jones Shuffle

Sean Connery is to sit out Indiana Jones and the Insufficient Paycheck after all - but John Hurt has signed up. I think we've suspected that for some time, really - one film ick story from March talked about Hurt and Indiana Jones, but the gossip didn't seem to spread very far.

Maybe it will now. Maybe the specualtion will begin: is Hurt stepping in for Connery, somehow? An uncle figure? Or a villain? Or what, exactly?

Home Sweet Home: Oxford Murders Pictured Online

Las Horas Perdidas (The Lost Hours) have some stills from The Oxford Murders. Thanks to Dark Horizons, I knew where to find them (though, in fact, one of those reproduced below is not a still, but a 'behind the scenes image' - can you see which one?)

Alex Cox seems to be trying out for the starring role in a Stanley Baxter biopic - either that or he perhaps plays John Hurts character in a flashback.

I'm not entirely sure a single one of these images originated in Oxford, though the film certainly has been filming here - I took the students along to spy on some of the shoot. Perhaps the Breakfast Club looking one is in a bit of the Bodleian? Can any of my fellow Oxfordians advise?

Who Will Hurt? Indiana Jones Or Abraham Lincoln?

As Paul has pointed out to me, while speaking in yesterday's Guardian, John Hurt mentioned that he's recently received a job offer from Spielberg. He does claim the project is 'as yet unannounced", but formally speaking, that could be either Indiana Jones And The Something Most Likely To Be City of Gods or the Abe Lincoln film, probably just called Lincoln.

Or, of course, it may actually be something completely unannounced.

Hurt's in town here filming The Oxford Murders right now, so I'll see if I can't corner him in Friar's Entry and rattle him 'til answers fall off (Chance'd be a fine thing, etc.) Anybody got a skeleton key for the Randolph Hotel?

Let the Indiana Jones rumour wind carry this one far and wide!

Oxford Murders Muddle

The local paper here in Oxford is covering the shooting of The Oxford Murders, for obvious reasons. They aren't getting every fact quite right, however:

"Oxford's Broad Street turned into a film set today as shooting for The Oxford Murders began" they say. Which doesn't explain how I was on set last Thursday, not to mention the various on-set snaps I saw a couple of weeks back.

They go on "The nearby White Horse pub, set to feature in a scene to be shot on Thursday, provided a warm haven for extras and crew. Licensee Jacqueline Paphitis said: Elijah Wood was in this morning and had a cup of tea. He was laid-back and a really nice guy. Everyone's really excited about the filming on Thursday."

That's Thursday, Frodo-stalkers. Of this week.

I might take my students by again. The sneaky peek we had last week was very interesting for them. It was a pleasure to meet Alex de la Iglesia too, however briefly. Was any scoopage gleaned? Not much, but he did tell me that the film is expected to premiere at the Venice Film Festival this year.

Elijah Woods Is Coming To Town

The Hollywood Reporter have named Elijah Wood as an addition to Alex de la Iglesia' The Oxford Murders. Wood will be shooting here, in Oxford, from late January.

The film is a murder mystery headed up John Hurt as a brilliant, doubtlessly eccentric, mathematics professor. If the mystery is a good one, fits together logically and doesn't cheat, we'll be looking at a real winner here.

I'll keep my eye on this one. Local advantage.