Disney has currently greenlit an Indiana Jones television series for their streaming platform, Disney+, according to a report by Variety. The legendary globe-trotting archaeologist has seen enduring popularity since his debut in Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981.
The move to further develop the character, and perhaps take it in an alternative direction, comes hot on the heels of star Harrison Ford stating he will be done with the role after the release of the fifth film. The series is still looking for a head writer to helm the project, but Disney and Lucasfilm are reported to have given the go-ahead to the idea. It's currently unknown what link, if any, the series would have to the upcoming sequel to the Ford quadrilogy, which is currently going by Indiana Jones but is as yet untitled officially.
That film comes 14 years after the release of the previous installment, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Ford has played the iconic treasure hunter - with his whip and fedora - in all the feature films thus far (with River Phoenix playing the role of the young Jones in the third installment, The Last Crusade). The first four - Raiders, Temple of Doom, Crusade and Crystal Skull were all directed by Steven Spielberg with George Lucas and Philip Kaufman credited with the creation of the character. The fifth film is due to be directed by James Mangold, while the franchise as a whole has grossed almost $1.3 billion worldwide thus far.
Disney has previously adapted their own intellectual properties for streaming with great success. Its Star Wars adaptations, including The Mandalorian, Andor and Obi-Wan Kenobi were all huge hits for the House of Mouse, even lesser-known brands like The Mighty Ducks and High School Musical have proven to be victories in their own right. Disney also has adaptations of Willow and The Muppets coming soon.
Should the series move into production, it wouldn't be the first adaptation of Indiana Jones into a television series. A show about the young Jones, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, aired for two seasons between 1992 and 1993 on ABC with four made-for-TV specials airing on The Family Channel (now Freeform) between 1994 and 1996. Ford made a cameo appearance as an older Jones in one episode, but the primary focus of the show was on the character's youth with Sean Patrick Flanery and Corey Carrier playing him at different ages, while George Hall played the elderly Jones, narrating the series.
Further details about the prospective series aren't yet known, but the Mangold-directed Indiana Jones is due for release on June 30, 2023. While we wait for more news, enjoy this flashback to our The Force Awakens interview with Ford below: