Indiana Jones and the Disney Connection

Pale Horse

Moderator
Staff member
I wait for Stoo too...before I comment further

But hearing this rumor makes my decision to be an owner of the house of mouse very profitable to me.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
These characters have been inside Disney Parks for two decades and most guests, particularly young boys, identify them as Disney characters to begin with. To inform them that they aren't owned by Disney would be a surprise to most if not all.

Is this really the case? If so then it would explain the popularity (and direction) of KOTCS, in spite of all the negative criticism, but it's a sad state of affairs.

Under Disney control Indiana Jones would be preserved as a viable product, but how many Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls are we willing to accept before turning our backs on all new product and leaving him to the children?

Or would Disney actually save Indy from the clutches of Lucas and Spielberg?
 

Pale Horse

Moderator
Staff member
Montana Smith said:
Or would Disney actually save Indy from the clutches of Lucas and Spielberg?

Depends. There certainly would be no "Hitchcock-esque" narratives available to use. But you'd find gripping stories and character development again. And no double-triple-double-switcharoo plot lines to try and hide the vacuum.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Pale Horse said:
Depends. There certainly would be no "Hitchcock-esque" narratives available to use. But you'd find gripping stories and character development again. And no double-triple-double-switcharoo plot lines to try and hide the vacuum.

A double-edged sword maybe.

It's difficult to imagine Lucas giving up control of Indy to another creative team, yet going by his present outlook on old favourites (Indy & SW) it would offer a new lease of life.

A quality animated series backed by intelligent writing would be a welcome shot in the arm.

Handing Indy over to a more adult-oriented team would be preferable, though much more unlikely. Disney has the big bucks to dangle, which Lucas can always donate to his favourite charity.
 

Pale Horse

Moderator
Staff member
Some questions for another thread maybe...

If this merger takes place, does Disney do a quality animated story, that they showcase on DisneyXD or some other television media they use; do they take the 'reboot' route and use the character into a new film franchise; or do they capitalize the same way they have with Marvel?

So many questions.

___
(sorry stoo, I'm still commenting, lol)
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Pale Horse said:
If this merger takes place, does Disney do a quality animated story, that they showcase on DisneyXD

This, I feel, would be the best way to continue with a 1930s or wartime Indy. If Harrison releases rights to his image then such a path would be acceptable to old fans as well as those who discovered the character more recently.

Pale Horse said:
or some other television media they use;

They could continue where Young Indiana Jones left off, but this time with less emphasis on blatant education, and more on adventure, introducing the educational angle with more subtlelty. Watching the relationship between a younger Indy and a younger Belloq would make for interesting viewing. The only issue would be if the series got into the 1930s, and obvious comparisons with Harrison's likeness become more pronounced.

Pale Horse said:
do they take the 'reboot' route and use the character into a new film franchise;

This is the most controversial angle, and one best left for later, after the audience has been tested by an animated or live TV series.

Pale Horse said:
or do they capitalize the same way they have with Marvel?

You mean a full on attack? Multiple Indy projects? That might be overkill at the moment. Marvel has many characters to sustain it, and a massive audience who can choose which characters and situations appeal to them. Indy, for all his popularity, is not equal to the full force of Marvel, or Star Wars (no pun intended!) Unless Disney makes him that force, and I think that may end up diluting him further.
 

Pale Horse

Moderator
Staff member
Montana Smith said:
Indy, for all his popularity, is not equal to the full force of Marvel, or Star Wars (no pun intended!) Unless Disney makes him that force, and I think that may end up diluting him further.

Could that not be said of all the 'disney' characters, aside from the Big 5...MMGDD?
 

Henry W Jones

New member
I don't have a problem with Disney/Indy toys and rides. That said, I think Indy would become very kid oriented if Disney flat out owned the rights to it. (No more melting faces, Exploding heads, Decapitations, Ripping Hearts Out, Faces in Propellers, Spikes through folks, Ect.) While I love me some Star Wars, it already is very kid oriented and has been even more so since Ewoks were introduced in ROTJ so Disney owning it wouldn't make much of a difference. IMHO
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Attila the Professor said:
It seems unfair to post this while Stoo is away, but he'll find it eventually...
Pale Horse said:
I wait for Stoo too...before I comment further
Thanks for the sentiment, gentlemen.:hat: (Pale Horse, you lost your self-control!:p)

@Matzilla: I've been meaning to reply to your post from 3 months ago but keep getting distracted.:eek: Sorry!
Blue Sky Disney said:
These characters have been inside Disney Parks for two decades and most guests, particularly young boys, identify them as Disney characters to begin with. To inform them that they aren't owned by Disney would be a surprise to most if not all.
Exactly what I suspected & feared.:eek:
Montana Smith said:
Is this really the case? If so then it would explain the popularity (and direction) of KOTCS, in spite of all the negative criticism, but it's a sad state of affairs.
That's what I want to know! Is this guy just talking out of his derrière or does he have anything to confirm? What percentage of park visitors actually think that Indy (& "Star Wars") are Disney products?
Blue Sky Disney said:
If Iger is true to this statement then it's time to purchase them from Lucas and make it happen. I can only cross my fingers that this is what has been happening in back channels. I dream of Iger having meetings with George Lucas up in Marin County, discussing a transaction similar to the Marvel deal over a nice lunch at Skywalker Ranch.
Has this DORK been smoking crack? He DREAMS of Indy being taken over by Disney!:rolleyes: If Disney acquires the rights to continue the Indy legacy, I will vomit (repeatedly) and sh!t bricks.:sick::sick::sick:
 

Explorer1074

New member
Anything's possible. I don't hope Disney acquires the rights to Indy but then again Lucas and Disney have that relationship. I look at the Star Trek franchise which is at a stale mate at the moment but the franchise is entirely in the hands of business executives that only look for money.
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
The legend continues...

Stoo said:
That's what I want to know! Is this guy just talking out of his derrière or does he have anything to confirm? What percentage of park visitors actually think that Indy (& "Star Wars") are Disney products?

Hopefully none. The sign is clearly marked as Disney & George Lucas, and unless I'm somehow mistaken, Lucas is a household name. For those whose first exposure to Indiana Jones is the ride, a quick five minute explanation would answer all questions.

Indy+Sign.JPG
 

dr.jones1986

Active member
Le Saboteur said:
Hopefully none. The sign is clearly marked as Disney & George Lucas, and unless I'm somehow mistaken, Lucas is a household name. For those whose first exposure to Indiana Jones is the ride, a quick five minute explanation would answer all questions.

Indy+Sign.JPG

I agree and they do also do the same with the sign for Star Tours as well. Disney uses other properties they do not own besides Lucasfilm, such as The Twilight Zone, Aerosmith, Michael Jackson and most of the movies featured in the Great Movie Ride (which includes Raiders).

Universal Studios has done the same in their theme parks with properties they do not own, such as The Simpsons, Harry Potter etc. It is a common practice among theme parks to increase appeal to a wide range of people.
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Le Saboteur said:
Hopefully none. The sign is clearly marked as Disney & George Lucas, and unless I'm somehow mistaken, Lucas is a household name. For those whose first exposure to Indiana Jones is the ride, a quick five minute explanation would answer all questions.
Indeed, the sign is marked...but how 'clear' is it?:confused: Lucas' name looks rather small. How big is that sign and who is on hand to give the "quick five minute explanation"? The older parents/chaperones or the park employees?

Blue Sky Disney seems to be an expert on the subject and he states that "young boys" identify Star Wars/Indiana Jones characters with Disney!:eek:
dr.jones1986 said:
I agree and they do also do the same with the sign for Star Tours as well. Disney uses other properties they do not own besides Lucasfilm, such as The Twilight Zone, Aerosmith, Michael Jackson and most of the movies featured in the Great Movie Ride (which includes Raiders).
At the risk of repeating myself, the Star Wars/Indy connection paved the way for this type of amalgamation. The "Twilight Zone" Tower of Terror is in the Hollywood Studios section, which is fine. Aerosmith (and Michael Jackson:sick:) are different animals because they are not ficitional characters.

The difference is that "Temple of the Forbidden Eye" and "Temple du Péril" are in the MAGIC KINGDOM...the heartland of Disney!:sick: Did Disney ever create/make films about Indiana Jones? No!
dr.jones1986 said:
Universal Studios has done the same in their theme parks with properties they do not own, such as The Simpsons, Harry Potter etc. It is a common practice among theme parks to increase appeal to a wide range of people.
The commercial aspect is understood but, at its beginning, Universal Studios theme park was dedicated to Universal films...
 

Henry W Jones

New member
Hey Stoo, why do you care what kids think about who created these products? Will it change the movies we have. If anything that ride helps with Indy interest and makes the series identifiable to kids which means more product for the films and more interest in the films for those who haven't seen them. This hate for the Disney/Lucas connection is strange to me. So Stoo, this leads me to......
Would you rather go to Disneyland and ride Snow White the ride? Maybe Cinderella the ride? That sounds fun. I may be wrong but aren't a lot of Disney characters taken from books? So is it just Lucas product or should anything that started in another medium such as "Alice in Wonderland" or "Beauty and the Beast" which I believe wete both books first, not be part of Disney? Where does line get drawn? Is it just stuff you like or anything that starts non-Disney?
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Henry W Jones said:
Hey Stoo, why do you care what kids think about who created these products? Will it change the movies we have. If anything that ride helps with Indy interest and makes the series identifiable to kids which means more product for the films and more interest in the films for those who haven't seen them.
The blurring of lines, Dubya, the blurring of lines. Indiana Jones is NOT a Disney product.:gun:
Henry W Jones said:
This hate for the Disney/Lucas connection is strange to me.
You may find it strange because you collect Indy toys!:p
Henry W Jones said:
Would you rather go to Disneyland and ride Snow White the ride? Maybe Cinderella the ride? That sounds fun.
Disney made film verisons of "Snow White" and "Cinderella" before the 1st park was created. Disney has never made an INDIANA JONES FILM.:whip:
Henry W Jones said:
I may be wrong but aren't a lot of Disney characters taken from books? So is it just Lucas product or should anything that started in another medium such as "Alice in Wonderland" or "Beauty and the Beast" which I believe wete both books first, not be part of Disney? Where does line get drawn? Is it just stuff you like or anything that starts non-Disney?
To understand my position, please read the thread, Henry W.:rolleyes:
 

Henry W Jones

New member
Stoo said:
The blurring of lines, Dubya, the blurring of lines. Indiana Jones is NOT a Disney product.:gun:
You may find it strange because you collect Indy toys!:p
Disney made film verisons of "Snow White" and "Cinderella" before the 1st park was created. Disney has never made an INDIANA JONES FILM.:whip:
To understand my position, please read the thread, Henry W.:rolleyes:

While I collect Indy toys I don't collect Disney Indy toys so that is irrelevant. Also I have read the thread and still don't get your giant "hate on" you got for the association they have with one another. I don't see how it affects Indy or SW from the "movie" perspective.
 

Dr. Gonzo

New member
Stoo said:
Has this DORK been smoking crack? He DREAMS of Indy being taken over by Disney!:rolleyes: If Disney acquires the rights to continue the Indy legacy, I will vomit (repeatedly) and sh!t bricks.:sick::sick::sick:
If Disney acquires the complete rights to Indiana Jones not only will I become as ill as Stoo but I'll divorce myself from any further love/fandom of Indiana Jones...
:dead:
(gulp) Did I go too far???

(but I'll always have those first fou-- I mean three Raiders films to look at)
 

Henry W Jones

New member
Dr. Gonzo said:
If Disney acquires the complete rights to Indiana Jones not only will I become as ill as Stoo but I'll divorce myself from any further love/fandom of Indiana Jones...
:dead:
(gulp) Did I go too far???


Agreed but "complete rights" and "affiliation" are two different things. Complete rights would be horrible, but a few products and a few rides it promotes "Indy Awareness" for a younger generation. What's wrong with that?
 

Dr. Gonzo

New member
Henry W Jones said:
Agreed but "complete rights" and "affiliation" are two different things. Complete rights would be horrible, but a few products and a few rides it promotes "Indy Awareness" for a younger generation. What's wrong with that?
I was referring to an article a few pages back that talks of Disney looking to acquire the rights to Lucasfilm LTD... just as they have with Marvel. I don't see it happening but if it did (see my previous post). The dude (or chick) who wrote it wanted a Disney merger/takeover of Lucasfilm properties.

I think that's no bueno.
 
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