Alex Remington: Spielberg's the Biggest Director in Hollywood -- So Why's He Cashing In On Indiana Jones Again?

Alexander the Great. Julius Caesar. Genghis Khan. Steven Spielberg. In an era where conquest is achieved not though territorial annexation but through cultural ubiquity, Spielberg is king. And now his most famous creation is back, looking out from billboards, signs and posters, sporting a case of 27 year-old three-day shadow: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull . Clearly, the S in Dreamworks SKG is not a man who needs to look far for a dollar or who has wanted for success in recent years. So why, at this point in his career, would he bring back Indiana Jones - and the aging, long-in-the-tooth Harrison Ford - rather than letting well enough alone? In recent years, we've seen an increasing number of latter-day sequels to revive aging franchises: Terminator 3 , Rocky Balboa , Rambo , in which pre-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone showed off impressive musculatures underneath sagging, leathery skin. So what are Spielberg and Ford doing in their company? Though ... (link)