Raiders of the Lost Ark was released in cinemas in 1981.
The film premiered in the United States on June 12, 1981, introducing archaeologist Indiana Jones to audiences. George Lucas conceived the character and story, while Steven Spielberg directed the adventure from a screenplay credited to Lawrence Kasdan.
Raiders was designed as a fast-moving homage to the adventure serials of the 1930s and 1940s. Its success established Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones as a major film character and led to four later feature films.
The film is sometimes called Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, but its original theatrical title was Raiders of the Lost Ark. The longer title became associated with the series after the sequels were released.