20 Things You Didn't Know About Raiders Of The Lost Ark
1. The Boulder Was Barely Going To Be In The Film
If you were asked to picture one image from the Indiana Jones series, the first thought to come to your mind would probably be the boulder chasing the titular hero. Although the 22-foot wide rock was harmless since it was made of fibreglass, seeing Indy's face fill with terror as it tumbled towards him made this chase one of the greatest openings in cinema. There is no moment in the franchise that has been parodied as often as this scene. The boulder is so beloved, it is credited on IMDb. (That's not a joke. According to the website, the boulder's name is Josh.)
Ironically, the boulder was never meant to be a major part of the intro. It was supposed to be just another obstacle for Indy to dodge as he raced out of the temple.
That all changed when the production designer, Norman Reynolds, brought the boulder on-set and Spielberg saw it for the first time. Spielberg was so blown away, he had his crew create an extra 50-feet of set to extend the scene of the boulder chasing Indy down the tunnel.