Unseen Adventures: The Animated Indiana Jones Series That Almost Happened!

by

It appeared as though Lucasfilm was considering expanding the universe of Indiana Jones on Disney+, much like they did with Star Wars. However, the release of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the fifth and final film in the series, could have made this expansion more difficult due to it being Harrison Ford’s last portrayal of Indiana Jones. As Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy stated that only Harrison Ford would play Indiana Jones, it seems there may not be much room for franchise growth. Previously, Lucasfilm had ideas to develop the supporting characters in Indiana Jones’s life within the series.

In the latest installment of the beloved film discussion podcast, “Blank Check with Griffin & David,” my cherished co-host, Griffin Newman, shares an intriguing tidbit about his past. It seems he once auditioned for an unnamed Lucasfilm animated series that bore a striking resemblance to an Indiana Jones-style adventure.

Beyond being the delightful co-pilot on “Blank Check,” Griffin is a versatile actor, gracing our screens as Arthur in “The Tick” and lending his voice to characters like Chip in “Disenchanted,” Mad Hatter in “Harley Quinn,” and Orko in “Masters of the Universe: Revelation.” His uncanny ability to impersonate Watoo on “The George Lucas Talk Show” podcast may have even caught the attention of Lucasfilm for this series.

Griffin clarified that the series was less about Indiana Jones per se, but rather it echoed the spirit of the River Phoenix opening sequence in “The Last Crusade.” As he put it, “It wasn’t Indiana Jones so much as it was a nod to the opening of The Last Crusade.

In simpler terms,

“Many years ago, I tried out for what they called an unnamed Star Wars project. When I read the script, it reminded me of a young Indiana Jones show, and it was going to be animated. However, as the story of Dial of Destiny became more intricate, they decided to concentrate solely on that and not do a spin-off. The animated character was supposed to resemble River Phoenix rather than Young Indiana Jones.

What made the Indiana Jones animated series particularly amusing was that often, the project was cryptically titled “Untitled Lucasfilm Project,” leading viewers to suspect it was actually Star Wars in disguise. When they advertised it as an “Untitled Star Wars Cartoon Show,” I thought I was auditioning for a Star Wars cartoon show. However, upon reading the script, I realized they were using Star Wars as a veil for the series being Indiana Jones instead. Characters had alien names but discussed university life and adventurer studies, hinting at the hidden identity of the show…but sadly, it never came to fruition.

Newman himself believes he may have auditioned for roles like a young Sallah or a young Marcus Brody, both well-known figures in the Indiana Jones series who first appeared in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” This implies that instead of focusing solely on Indiana Jones, the show could have been more about creating animated adventures to expand the range of supporting characters and delve into their individual stories. In a similar vein, Lucasfilm has employed this method for series like “Tales of the Jedi” and “Tales of the Empire,” which are collections of short animated stories that have expanded the lore of characters such as Ahsoka Tano, Count Dooku, Morgan Elsbeth, and Barriss Offee.

Could Indiana Jones Ever Return?

Newman’s announcement of a possible animated Indiana Jones series is the most concrete hint yet regarding Lucasfilm’s plans to create any Indiana Jones spin-off. The last significant rumor surfaced in 2022 when it was mentioned that Lucasfilm was discussing script ideas with writers for a potential Indiana Jones series on Disney+, but no formal confirmation followed.

Before the launch of Disney+, a project might have been conceived but could have been abandoned prior to Disney’s Investor Day in December 2020. If it had persisted in development, Lucasfilm may have made an announcement about it. This is based on the report that Disney CEO Bob Chapek pushed Kathleen Kennedy and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige to reveal projects, even when they weren’t fully prepared.

The film titled “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” experienced numerous release date adjustments. Originally slated for July 19, 2019, it was pushed back to July 10, 2020, then again to July 9, 2021, and finally to July 29, 2022, before eventually premiering on June 30, 2023. Given the numerous delays, synchronizing an animated spin-off project for Indiana Jones proved challenging. Upon its release in theaters, it turned out to be a significant box office disappointment. Despite Lucasfilm not planning to return to the Indiana Jones franchise immediately, it’s hard to imagine the series will fade away forever. With a rich cast of vibrant sidekicks such as Sallah, Brody, Marion Ravenwood, Short Round, and Helena Shaw, among others, an animated series of shorts, as hinted by Newman, sounds like an exciting proposition.

Read More

2025-03-25 00:03