If you want to watch the classic “Indiana Jones” films on Disney+, you are out of luck right now. Currently, all the films have been removed except for Disney’s film “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.”
The franchise landing page on Disney+ does not include “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” “Indiana Jones the Last Crusade,” or “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.”
Now, all that is available is Disney’s film and two specials about the film.
Where did the films go?
While Disney owns the “Indiana Jones” franchise, Paramount has the distribution rights to the first four films.
In May 2013, Lucasfilm CEO Kathleen Kennedy announced that the four films and the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles would stream on Disney+ along with Paramount. Both services were sharing the films for streaming, but it is possible that the deal has lapsed, and they need to be removed unless a new deal is made.
At this point, we do not know if they will return or if Paramount will make a deal with another streaming service for the “Indiana Jones” films.
This is the nature of buying up a studio. That studio may have deals with other entities that limit distribution even if a company now owns the IP. Until Disney bought 20th Century Fox, the original “Star Wars” trilogy films were tied up in a distribution deal there, making it impossible for Disney to lock down the original trilogy on streaming or for digital or physical copy sales.
The Fox deal gave them back the rights.
Another example is Universal Orlando. They have the rights to major Marvel characters, and unless they revert them or make another deal, Disney is limited on what Marvel offerings it can bring to Walt Disney World. However, Universal is also limited as now Disney has to sign off on anything Marvel wants to do, and that isn’t likely. Recently, there has been talk that Universal may try to switch to DC Comics characters instead.
This web of rights seems to be the cause of “Indiana Jones” disappearing from the Disney+ service. Hopefully, it is temporary, but we don’t yet know.
What do you think? Comment and let us know!
Source: What’s On Disney+
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