▁now ▁seen ▁as ▁camp ier ▁over ▁the ▁original ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁Super man , ▁Super man ▁II ▁was ▁received ▁with ▁a ▁positive ▁reaction . ▁From ▁the ▁success ▁of ▁The ▁Empire ▁St rik es ▁Back , ▁cre ator ▁George ▁Lucas ▁te amed ▁up ▁with ▁director ▁Steven ▁Spiel berg ▁to ▁create ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁icon ic ▁characters ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁film ▁Ra iders ▁of ▁the ▁Lost ▁Ark ▁st arring ▁Harrison ▁Ford , ▁who ▁had ▁also ▁co - star red ▁in ▁The ▁Empire ▁St rik es ▁Back . ▁The ▁story ▁about ▁an ▁arch ae ologist ▁and ▁advent urer , ▁Indiana ▁Jones ▁( F ord ), ▁h ired ▁by ▁the ▁U . S . ▁government ▁to ▁go ▁on ▁a ▁quest ▁for ▁the ▁myst ical ▁lost ▁Ark ▁of ▁the ▁C oven ant , ▁created ▁waves ▁of ▁interest ▁in ▁old ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁style ▁cl iff h anger ▁serial s . ▁It ▁became ▁the ▁highest - g ross ing ▁film ▁of ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁leading ▁to ▁sequ els ▁all ▁in ▁the ▁top - 1 0 ▁films ▁of ▁the ▁de cade . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁Spiel berg ▁directed ▁his ▁family , ▁fair y - t ale ▁science - f iction ▁block b uster ▁E . T . ▁the ▁Ext ra - T err est rial , ▁which ▁sh atter ed ▁all ▁records , ▁ear ning ▁ 4 0 % ▁more ▁than ▁any ▁Star - W ars ▁film , ▁and ▁double ▁or ▁triple ▁the