An Indiana Jones TV Series Is In The Works At Disney+
The stable of franchises making the jump to Disney+ streaming series' just keeps growing: Variety has just reported that Disney and Lucasfilms have potential plans to develop an "Indiana Jones" TV show. The project is still apparently in very early stages, so no information is readily available about its plot, cast, or crew. The outlet also specifies that these discussions have been about a show "set in the world of the globe trotting archaeologist," so it would be presumptuous to assume at this point that Indy himself would be the star. It's also not certain as of yet whether this would be a spin-off, sequel, or prequel, but whatever it is, it'll surely be huge for the streamer.
For his part, Harrison Ford has been extremely clear on where he sees the future of "Indiana Jones" going after the film's upcoming fifth installment: Nowhere. In an interview with "The Today Show" back in 2019, the famously frank actor who first embodied the role in 1981's "Raiders of the Lost Ark" answered a question about who could play the hero next by saying, "Nobody is gonna be Indiana Jones. Don't you get it? I'm Indiana Jones. When I'm gone, he's gone."
Ford has said he won't return as Indy again
Ford himself hasn't quite hung up his explorer's hat yet, though: The actor is set to play the archeology professor Dr. Henry Walton Jones Jr. one more time, in next year's still-untitled film. That movie will also introduce Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Helena, who composer John Williams has described as "an adventuress" and "a femme fatale." Williams has already debuted a gorgeous new theme for Waller-Bridge's character, and she's been revealed to be the professor's goddaughter, so it'll be interesting to see if this already-hyped new character has a future in the franchise beyond Indy himself.
The first footage of the new "Indiana Jones" didn't offer hints about what a Disney+ show may entail, but it did give a glimpse of Indy and his allies on a high-octane thrill ride, as always. The footage screened at D23 Expo featured a rickshaw chase, a flashback to young Indy, and the reappearance of John Rhys-Davies, who played Sallah in the first and third "Indiana Jones" films. Four decades after originating the heroic character, Ford still gets in on the action in the early footage, zooming along in a motorcycle sidecar and cracking his whip at some villains.
Ford reiterated once again at D23 that any future "Indiana Jones" projects won't involve him, saying, "This is it. I will not fall down for you again." We'll keep you posted on this new project, and who will be falling down for our entertainment in it, as it develops.