Indiana Jones Franchise: What’s Next After Recent Delays?

After nearly 14 years, it was announced earlier this week that Kathleen Kennedy would step down from her position at Lucasfilm, with Dave Filoni taking over as President and Chief Creative Officer, alongside Lynwen Brennan as co-President. After many rumors about her departure, the news was confirmed on Thursday, and Kennedy will be returning to a full-time producing role. Although much of the attention surrounding her departure has followed the Star Wars franchise, other big-name titles are also being discussed, with the future of one taking a hit as part of Kennedy’s exit interview.

Whilst defending the ill-fated Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which was seen by some as the final nail in this long-running franchise’s coffin, Kennedy opened up about the thoughts on the future of the franchise. “I have no regrets about that because Harrison wanted to do that more than anything,” she remarked, adding, “He did not want Indy to end with the fourth movie. He wanted a chance at another, and we did that for him. I think that was the right thing to do. He wanted to do that movie.”

So what of the franchise’s future? With Harrison Ford about to turn 84, one would assume that another movie would have to come sooner rather than later were the Hollywood icon to lead the franchise one more time. “I don’t think Indy will ever be done,” she admitted, but added, “I don’t think anybody is interested right now in exploring it.” Earning just $384 million worldwide on a reported budget of $352.3 million, Dial of Destiny was a huge miss for Disney and the Indiana Jones franchise, and it now seems more likely than ever that the film could be the undeserving final chapter in one of Ford’s most iconic characters.

‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ Was Panned by Critics

Although the film boasts a positive score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the reality surrounding Dial of Destiny was that it upset many critics and fans. In her mixed review of the movie, Collider’s Therese Lacson awarded a grade of ‘B-,’ one some would call generous. “A lot of Dial of Destiny‘s script is formulaic. There’s nothing new in the first two-thirds of this movie, it feels like we are simply filling the space between action sequences with Indy’s greatest hits,” Lacson admitted, adding:

“It’s only by the third act that the film totally goes off the rails, taking us somewhere we’ve never been. And while your mileage may vary on whether this polarizing move makes the movie better or worse, it certainly feels like the most original part of Dial of Destiny.”

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