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Credit: LucasfilmFollowing the release of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023), Lucasfilm appeared to close the door on further expansion of the franchise. No follow-up projects were announced, and the studio’s focus shifted elsewhere.
Privately, however, at least one additional Indiana Jones project was developed before being shelved.
The effort never reached the public eye. It was neither announced nor marketed, and it quietly disappeared during a period of internal reassessment at the studio.
According to The Wrap, Lucasfilm explored an animated Indiana Jones series before ultimately canceling the project. The series never moved into production.
An Animated Concept That Stalled Early
The animated series was developed under the Lucasfilm banner and carried the internal codename “Reggie,” a reference to pilot Jock Lindsay’s pet snake in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).
The project was conceived as a serialized adventure series. Each episode would have followed Indiana Jones on a standalone mission set between the events of the films.
This episodic structure would have allowed the series to move freely across locations and timelines, filling in narrative gaps without disrupting established continuity.
Rodrigo Blaas was attached to the project. Blaas is best known for his work on Star Wars: Visions, which used animation to explore alternative storytelling approaches within an established franchise.
Animation was seen as a practical solution to a long-standing challenge. Harrison Ford’s portrayal of Indiana Jones is central to the character, and the actor has made clear that his time in the role has ended.
An animated format would have allowed Lucasfilm to continue telling Indiana Jones stories without recasting Ford in live action. Despite that flexibility, the series failed to gain traction internally.
The project never advanced beyond development. No animation was completed, and no release window was ever discussed publicly.
The cancellation came quietly, with no formal announcement or explanation from the studio.
The animated series was not the only Indiana Jones project to be dropped during this period. Lucasfilm also scrapped a live-action series that had been in development around 2022.
That project would have focused on Abner Ravenwood, Indiana Jones’ mentor and the father of Marion Ravenwood. It was abandoned before reaching production.
Taken together, the decisions point to a broader pullback from expanding the Indiana Jones universe beyond its existing films.
Reassessment After ‘Dial of Destiny’
The shelving of these projects follows the release of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023), which was positioned as the franchise’s final theatrical installment.
Directed by James Mangold, the film followed an aging Indiana Jones drawn into a time-travel storyline centered on Archimedes’ Antikythera, a device capable of altering history.
The film’s third act, which sent the character into the past, proved divisive. Some viewers responded to its focus on legacy and aging, while others criticized its reliance on callbacks to earlier entries.
Critical reception was mixed. Commercially, the film underperformed relative to expectations, grossing $384 million worldwide.
Disney reportedly absorbed a loss of roughly $130 million on the release, raising questions internally about the franchise’s long-term viability.
The animated series would have required sustained investment and a multi-season commitment. In the wake of Dial of Destiny’s performance, that level of confidence appears to have been lacking.
The decision also reflects a wider pattern at Lucasfilm. In recent years, the studio has developed several high-profile projects across its franchises, only to quietly abandon them as priorities shifted.
That reassessment comes amid leadership changes. Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down as president, with Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan stepping in as co-presidents.
The new leadership team is expected to streamline development rather than expand it. At present, Indiana Jones does not appear to be part of those immediate plans.
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