The Future of the ‘Indiana Jones’ Franchise Looks Bleak
While Harrison Ford made it clear that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny would be his final adventure as the iconic archaeologist, fans still hoped that the Indiana Jones franchise would carry on.
With Indiana Jones and the Great Circle earning rave reviews and Disney building a new Indy attraction at Animal Kingdom, there was reason to believe that Lucasfilm had plans for future Indiana Jones adventures, even if they were bereft of Harrison Ford.
Photo: Disney
Unfortunately, that does not appear to be the case.
Kathleen Kennedy’s Parting Comments
As Kathleen Kennedy prepares to turn over the reins of Lucasfilm to Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan, the longtime executive sat down with Deadline for something of an exit interview.
(Todd Williamson/Getty Images)
While much of the conversation understandably focused on Star Wars, Kennedy also shared a disappointing update on the Indiana Jones franchise.
When asked whether Dial of Destiny was an example of “where Harrison Ford stayed a little too long at the dance,” Kennedy said she had no regrets about the film.
Image: Disney
“No, no. I have no regrets about that because Harrison wanted to do that more than anything,” she said.
“He did not want Indy to end with the fourth movie. He wanted a chance at another, and we did that for him. I think that was the right thing to do. He wanted to do that movie.”
“I Don’t Think Anybody Is Interested”
Nevertheless, after Dial of Destiny struggled at the box office, Kennedy revealed that the franchise is currently on pause.
Photo: Men’s Health
“I don’t think Indy will ever be done, but I don’t think anybody is interested right now in exploring it,” she said. “But these are timeless movies, and Indy will never be done.”
Two ‘Indiana Jones’ Series Were Scrapped
While fans have long accepted that Dial of Destiny would likely be the final Indiana Jones film, there were hopes that the franchise could continue on streaming in some capacity.
Image: Disney
According to a report from The Wrap, Lucasfilm did at one point begin development on two new Indiana Jones series.
The first was an animated series from Rodrigo Blaas. Codenamed “Reggie,” the project would have followed the adventures of Jock Lindsay and Indiana Jones and been set between the main films.
Photo: IMDb
Additionally, another series was in development that would have focused on Abner Ravenwood, Indy’s mentor and Marion’s father.
Photo: IMDb
Both projects were ultimately scrapped.
A Look Ahead
While Indiana Jones fans can take some solace in the fact that a new theme park attraction is on the way, the prospects for new on-screen content currently look bleak.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Photo: Steam
Still, Indiana Jones remains one of the most recognizable characters in the world, and it’s hard to believe that Disney and Lucasfilm will keep the franchise dormant forever.
