Lucasfilm quietly killed two Indiana Jones television projects that had been in early development, according to a new report.
At a Glance
- An animated Indiana Jones series and a live-action Abner Ravenwood spin-off were both scrapped
- The animated show was internally codenamed “Reggie” after the snake from Raiders of the Lost Ark
- Former Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy was protective of the franchise and stopped projects she felt weren’t right
- The under-performance of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny likely influenced the decision
The Wrap reports that Rodrigo Blaas, director of Star Wars Visions, was developing an animated series that would have placed Indy “into scraps in stories set in-between the mainline movies.” The project never advanced beyond early development.
A separate live-action series focused on Abner Ravenwood, Indy’s mentor and father of Marion Ravenwood, was also “initially developed” in 2022. No details about the premise or creative team have emerged, and Lucasfilm declined to comment when contacted by News Of Fort Worth.
Why Both Projects Were Shelved
No official reason has been given for the cancellations, but several factors appear to have played a role.
- Quality concerns: Kathleen Kennedy, who served as president of Lucasfilm and produced every Indiana Jones film, was known for halting projects she felt did not meet the franchise’s standards.
- Box-office disappointment: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny earned less than $400 million worldwide in 2023, signaling limited audience appetite for further adventures.
- Early-stage development: Neither show had progressed far; they may have consisted only of concept art, outlines, or short treatments rather than completed scripts or pre-production teams.
What Comes Next for the Franchise
Despite the setbacks, Kennedy recently told Deadline that the character may return someday. “I don’t think Indy will ever be done,” she said, while acknowledging that “I don’t think anybody is interested right now in exploring it.”
The final decision rests with the original creative circle: Steven Spielberg, Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy, Harrison Ford, and George Lucas. “We are all still here,” Kennedy noted. “So we get to say whether there’s going to be any more, or not.”
For now, fans will have to content themselves with the five existing films and the hope that future creative teams can revive the archeologist’s big-screen adventures.
