While fans await the arrival of a fifth film, the further exploits of Indiana Jones are apparently planned to hit Disney+ as a TV series.

According to Variety, Disney and Lucasfilm are looking to develop a new live-action Indiana Jones series for the Mouse House's content-surging streaming platform. While specifics of said plans were not revealed, the possibilities are vast, ranging from a prequel set during the adventurous archeologist's youth (akin to The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles) to a spinoff that would expand the scope of the blockbuster films' branding. The company's creative coalition is reportedly looking for a writer to develop the small screen streaming project.

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Indiana Jones' Television History

While Indiana Jones fans are most familiar with the existing quartet of blockbuster films, in which Harrison Ford embodied the part-time professor and full-time adventurer, the franchise already branched out to the medium of television. Indeed, the aforementioned Young Indiana Jones Chronicles came to that table in 1992, showcasing the adolescent exploits of Indy, as played by Sean Patrick Flannery, for the hour-long television serial. The show aired on ABC until 1993 and continued tangentially from 1994-1996 with a quartet of made-for-TV specials airing on cable's The Family Channel (which became Freeform).

While Young Indiana Jones was well-regarded, it has generally become forgotten by ensuing generations. The series was also notable for sporadically covering different eras of Indy's life, with Corey Carrier playing the character during episodes set during Indy's childhood. This set a stark contrast from George Hall's elderly Indy, who -- sporting an unexplained patch over his right eye -- typically featured in segments that wrapped around each episode, transitioning to each story like a flashback.

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Of course, the franchise has already left its handprint in the proverbial cement of pop culture, with the initial classic trilogy of Ford-headlined films -- Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) -- standing firmly as indelible film classics. However, the franchise received a belated fourth film with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), which is generally regarded as a more divisive entry. This is due to several factors, notably its overt usage of arguably artificial-looking CGI effects, and its thematically divergent choice of a MacGuffin in mystical alien skulls proved to be major departure from the romanticism of the Judeo-Christian artifacts showcased in the past films.

Indiana Jones 5's Emotional Arrival

However, Crystal Skull won't be the new film of the bunch for much longer since a fifth film is on the near horizon. While it doesn't have a title, the fivequel will see Ford back as Indy, joined this time by a new companion named Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), who, reportedly, is his goddaughter. Details on the film have been sparse for the public, but Disney used the occasion of September's D23 event to hold a closed-door screening of the film's first teaser trailer. While that clip still hasn't made its official release online, it was filled with enough emotional nostalgia to make Ford shed some tears. The film will also see the return of John Rhys-Davies as Indy's classic companion Sallah, as evidenced by his appearance in the D23 trailer.

While there is no window to report for the Indiana Jones Disney+ project, the untitled Indiana Jones 5, with returning star Harrison Ford, is scheduled to hit theaters on Jun. 30, 2023.

Source: Variety