Dr. Jaime Awe, director of the Institute of Archeology of Belize and real-life Indiana Jones, filed a lawsuit against the Walt Disney Co., Lucasfilm, and Paramount Pictures for their use of the crystal skull in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
The lawsuit Awe filed is on behalf of the country of Belize over using a replica with the "likeness" of the Crystal Skull and the damages include the "illegal profits" from the film, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Worldwide, the 2008 Spielberg film grossed $786 million.
"Lucasfilm never sought, nor was given permission to utilize the Mitchell-Hedges Skull or its likeness in the Film. To date, Belize has not participated in any of the profits derived from the sale of the Film or the rights thereto," the lawsuit says.
Awe is also suing the treasure-hunting Mitchell-Hedges family for taking the Crystal Skull out of Belize.
The lawsuit may not end up going as Awe would like it to go though.
"It's unlikely that the lawsuit will go anywhere -- mostly because (apparently unbeknownst to Awe) it's based on a famous hoax," Discovery's Benjamin Radford was quoted by The Huffington Post.
Apparently the young girl, Anna Mitchell-Hedges, who found the skull in ancient Maya ruins during the 1920s, changed her story many times about how she found it. Her story changed from finding it in the jungle to her father buying it from an antiques collector, which would mean the country of Belize would have no claim over the skull.
The Hollywood Reporter says that Paramount has declined to comment on the situation.