Lucasfilm Once Tried to Develop an Awesome Animated INDIANA JONES Series
For years, fans have kicked around the idea of seeing Indiana Jones crack his whip in animated form. Now, according to a new report, Lucasfilm actually explored the idea of an animated Indiana Jones series, along with a separate live-action spinoff.
Neither project made it out of development, but the details that have surfaced paint a fascinating picture of what almost was.
The report comes from The Wrap, which says the animated project was being developed by Rodrigo Blaas, best known to genre fans for his work on Star Wars Visions. The series would’ve followed Indy on smaller-scale adventures set between the events of the films, with the character getting into various scrapes that filled in the gaps of his globe-trotting career.
Internally, the animated show had the working title “Reggie,” a deep-cut reference to the snake in Jock Lindsay’s plane from Raiders of the Lost Ark. They were looking to lean into the classic Indy flavor rather than reinvent the wheel.
It’s also reported that Lucasfilm explored a very different idea around 2022 with a live-action series centered on Abner Ravenwood, Indy’s former mentor and the father of Marion Ravenwood. Details on that concept are scarce, and like the animated project, it never moved forward.
As for why both ideas stalled, no official reason has been given. One possibility is simple quality control. Kathleen Kennedy has always been extremely protective of Lucasfilm’s major properties. As a producer on every Indiana Jones film, she’s long been closely tied to the character and hasn’t hesitated to shut down projects that didn’t feel right creatively.
There’s also the reality of recent box office performance. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny struggled to break $400 million worldwide during its 2023 run, which sent a pretty clear signal about the current appetite for more Indy, at least on the big screen. That kind of response can make even lower-risk projects feel harder to justify.
It’s also worth noting that there’s no indication either show ever got very far. Given that this is the first time we’re hearing about them, it’s likely both ideas were still in early development. Maybe a rough outline, maybe some early artwork.
That’s a very different situation than something like George Lucas’ Star Wars Underground project, which reportedly had dozens of scripts written. Still, when it comes to Indiana Jones, fans tend to care about every unrealized idea, no matter how small.
Despite the setbacks, Kennedy doesn’t sound ready to completely close the book on the franchise. Speaking recently, she made it clear she has no regrets about Dial of Destiny and left the door slightly ajar for the future.
“I don’t think Indy will ever be done,” she said. “But I don’t think anybody is interested right now in exploring it. But these are timeless movies, and Indy will never be done.”
She also emphasized that the original creative voices still have a say in what happens next. “We are all still here,” she added. “Steven and Frank and I, and Harrison and George. So we get to say whether there’s going to be any more, or not.”
That group includes Steven Spielberg, Frank Marshall, Harrison Ford, and George Lucas, and while fans don’t get a vote, it’s hard not to hope that if that team ever decides the time is right, Indiana Jones will crack the whip one more time. Animated or otherwise, it still feels like there are a few adventures left in him.