Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg initially dismissed George Lucas’ idea to base the new Indiana Jones movie around a mythical crystal skull.

The actor, along with director Spielberg, were looking for ideas for a fourth movie featuring the legendary character, and turned down several script possibilities, including one that saw the Dr. Henry ‘Indiana’ Jones Jr. hunting for the Lost City of Atlantis.

And when producer Lucas suggested a script focusing on the crystal skull - a quartz cranium believed to hold supernatural powers - both his colleagues laughed off the idea.

Ford admits it became a struggle between the three men as they resisted Lucas’ idea - but they eventually gave in, conceding that the Star Wars filmmaker was "always right".

He tells British magazine Empire, "I think that’s fair to say (that we were resistant). The mysterio-crypto elements are not really my bag. I like the relationship elements, the adventure elements.

"George feels that the ‘ooh-ey, ooh-ey, ooh-ey’ stuff is a strong string in our bow. I admit he’s right. He’s always right. More or less. We’re all stubborn. All three of us."

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is released in cinemas in May.