Here are a pair of new images from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull:

Take this as a rumor, but we’ve heard the following about Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

To celebrate Close Encounters of the Third Kind’s 30th anniversary, Steven Spielberg has dusted off those rubber Extraterrestrial dummies for a cameo appearance in the final (we assume) installment of Indiana Jones.

This may sound ludicrous, but Harvard lecturer Dr. Marc Zender makes it seem as though aliens may play a role in the film.

He explains that crystal skulls were once displayed in museums across the globe as proof of ancient Mayan grinding technology, but they’re actually all fakes, most likely manufactured in late 19th-century Germany.

Can you imagine aliens popping up in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull?

“These things are big crystals, and people started thinking of them as these super computers of past civilizations,” Dr. Zender said. “If a silicon chip can hold tons of information and data, imagine what a gigantic 11-pound crystal can hold. So maybe this skull has stored all of the lost knowledge of the Mayans or Atlantians, or ET.”

There’s a thick veil of secrecy around the plot of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. But British actor Ray Winstone did give us a hint into his character at least:

He plays a sidekick to Harrison Ford’s iconic hero.

“It’s alright, I like it,” Winstone said of the second-banana role. “I’ve enjoyed working with [Ford]; it’s fun.”

As far as the film itself goes, the star says fans should get ready for a mixture if action, heartfelt moments and comedy.

“They wouldn’t last forever if they just had action,” he said. “If it all works to plan, which I’m sure it will, it [will have that mix]; it starts off with a gallop, and [the script] just gets quicker and quicker and quicker. It’s one hell of a story, actually.”

Lastly, the actor expressed enthusiasm for the work of franchise newcomer Shia LaBeouf, who he said has brought the Indy world a welcomed sense of improv.

“Shia’s a great kid. He’s got his feet on the ground, and he’s a born actor, this boy,” Winstone said. “I like him a lot.”

Since this interview, of course, LaBeouf has been arrested for public intoxication. But we’ll assume Winstone still likes him.

According to IGN, Steven Spielberg thanked his cast and crew as they shared a toast before filming the final shot on Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull this week.

You can actually watch the celebratory moment online at IndianaJones.com.

During a recent chat with IGN and other members of the media on the Universal Studios lot, Spielberg confirmed that the Russians are villains in the fourth installment of the hugely popular franchise, which he says is accurate given the film’s 1950s time period.

He also said that from the movie’s opening shot you can immediately tell who these villains are and why.

When asked about Shia LaBeouf taking over the mantle of action hero from his co-star Harrison Ford, Spielberg simply said that LaBeouf has a lot of big things in his future, including multiple Transformers movies.

Mark it down, fans:

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull hits theaters on May 22, 2008.

Yup, it’s an older, wiser - but still heroic - Indiana Jones.

Next summer, Harrison Ford is reprising the role film buffs love him the most in. We’ve uncovered the first picture of Indiana from the movie’s set. Enjoy:

It’s been widely reported that Indiana Jones 4 will feature a major car chase sequence. The only other detail we’ve known thus far is that the scene in question would film in New Haven, Connecticut. But now there are new revelations.

This week, the New Haven Independent spoke to city officials involved in bringing the production to New Haven, and managed to piece together numerous details on the Indy 4 shoot.

The final Indiana Jones movie, as far as New Haven aldermen were told, is set in the year 1957. New Haven was selected as a key location because of the abundance of attractive New England architecture, particularly around Yale University. And most of the scenes to be filmed there reportedly involve Harrison Ford on a motorcycle.

The scene descriptions are vivid, so be warned of some minor spoilers: Indy and his bike will be tearing through the courtyards of several Yale colleges and speeding through an underground tunnel off Derby Avenue. Supposedly, Indy might pick up a football from one of the nearby sports fields and use it as a weapon while riding.

Then, he’ll burst through the Yale Commons — set up to look like a study hall — while books and papers fly, and students scramble out of the way. And on a nearby street, a sedan — one of Indy’s pursuers, perhaps — will have an accident and get flipped over.

The entire New Haven shoot is expected to run from June 28th until July 6th. Auditioning will begin soon for the 500 or so extras required.

Remember, these details are not official, and there’s no telling just how these scenes fit into the overall story; however, it is official that Spielberg will be shooting in New Haven, and there’s no reason to doubt that these scenes will be shot as planned - and that young stud Shia LaBeouf will be involved somehow.

“I’ve never been more athletic in my life,” Shia LaBeouf told MTV News, referring to his early training for Indiana Jones 4, and not, as one might have guessed, his nimbleness at dodging questions regarding the eagerly anticipated flick.

“We haven’t gotten to any rehearsals [yet],” he said, indicating that the film will start shooting in June. “It’s just been a lot of stunt rehearsals and weapons training.”

Wearing a t-shirt and shorts, Shia looked buffer than usual, sporting greased back hair more reminiscent of Gordon Gekko than Harrison Ford. This would seem to jibe with leaked news posted earlier this morning that said Shia will play a biker in the upcoming sequel. The actor was mum on the topic, announcing of his wardrobe only that his character won’t “be wearing a fedora [in the film].”

It’s a veil of secrecy that starts at the top, he affirmed, and one he aims to uphold without any objection.

“You don’t make any demands to Steven Spielberg. You say ‘Oh yeah, alright great, that sounds like a good thing to me’,” he proclaimed. “Of course, you have to find your voice as the artist. You’re the tool, and you gotta have some say. [But] I don’t imagine I’ll be questioning anything he says. It’s [not] very easy to say, ‘You know Steven, I don’t think that’s correct. I think I should do it this way.’”

Either way, the 20-year-old star knows he’ll be a focal point of fan criticism. “Nobody expects anything from that film,” he joked, eyes rolling.