The Mouse House will distribute any new installment of the movie franchise with Paramount getting a considerable amount of the proceeds.
- December 7, 2013
AceShowbiz -
Walt Disney Studios has struck a deal with Paramount Pictures. The Mouse House, which already secured ownership rights to "Indiana Jones" after acquiring LucasFilm in 2012, now secures marketing and distribution rights for any future installments of the movie franchise.
Paramount, which is a branch of entertainment giant Viacom Inc., will continue holding the distribution rights to the first four Harrison Ford-starring adventure films. The studio will also receive an undisclosed financial share from Disney should any new films be made.
Created by George Lucas, the "Indiana Jones" series kicked off with "Raiders of the Lost Ark" in 1981. It was followed by "The Temple of Doom" in 1984, "The Last Crusade" in 1989, and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" in 2008. Steven Spielberg directed all the four films with Ford on the lead. The movies combined have grossed $1.9 billion worldwide.
There is no official word for "Indiana Jones V" movie just yet although Ford has expressed in multiple occasions his interest to reprise his hero role. But words are, Disney most likely has mapped plans for the franchise before deciding to purchase its distribution rights.
After the $4 billion LucasFilm buyout, Disney has also gained distributions rights to "Star Wars" series which will continue with "Star Wars Episode 7" due December 18, 2015 with J.J. Abrams at the helm.
On top of that, Disney distributed "The Avengers" and "Iron Man 3" under a similar agreement with Paramount. Meanwhile, "Thor: The Dark World" became the first feature solely produced by Marvel Studios under the Disney banner.
