Disney has reportedly canceled two projects that have been in the works for several years following a recent shakeup of the leadership at Lucasfilm. The recent reports indicate that the “Indiana Jones” spin-offs have been shelved following the disappointing performance of Harrison Ford-led film “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.”
Disney Cancels Two ‘Indiana Jones’ Projects to Protect Brand Value
GettyAccording to several reports, including The Wrap, Disney has been working on two television projects set in the “Indiana Jones” franchise. However, the two series, which were still under active development, have now been axed and will not move forward into production.
The first of these projects is an animated series that has been going by the codename “Reggie,” a reference to the pet snake the pilot has in the first film in the series. Rodrigo Blass was set to helm the animated series, which would have been an anthology of stories set between the various feature films.
The other project was a live-action series that would have focused on Abner Ravenwood. He is the father of Marion Ravenwood and Indiana Jones’ mentor, with the protagonist having studied under Abner at university.
“I don’t think Indy will ever be done, but I don’t think anybody is interested right now in exploring it,” said former Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy in a recent interview with Deadline. “But these are timeless movies, and Indy will never be done.”
When asked if another film could happen in the future, Kennedy didn’t rule it out. She said, “You never know. But we are all still here, Steven [Spielberg] and Frank and I, and Harrison and George. So we get to say whether there’s going to be any more, or not.”
A New Direction for Lucasfilm
GettyIn January, it was confirmed that Kathleen Kennedy was stepping down as President of Lucasfilm after 14 years in the job. She was picked to lead the studio after Disney purchased it and the rights to film franchises such as “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” from George Lucas in 2012.
She is being replaced by “The Mandalorian” and “Ahsoka” creator Dave Filoni alongside former general manager Lynwen Brennan, who will both act as co-president of Lucasfilm going forward.
Kennedy has effectively led Lucasfilm’s direction since the Disney takeover. She was pivotal in the development of the sequel trilogy, alongside all of the subsequent Disney+ television releases and the upcoming ” Star Wars: Starfighter” with Ryan Gosling and Jon Favreau’s “The Mandalorian & Grogu.”
