Last year, in anticipation of the release of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Disney made the first four films—Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull—available on Disney+. However, as of this month, Dial of Destiny is the only Indiana Jones movie currently streaming on Disney+.
This development may not come as a shock to fans of the franchise. Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012 granted the studio full ownership of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Willow, and other intellectual properties created under George Lucas. Nonetheless, this acquisition did not automatically grant Disney the rights to any movies produced prior to 2012. Consequently, the distribution rights for the first four Indiana Jones movies remain with Paramount. A similar scenario unfolded with the first six Star Wars films, but Disney resolved this issue in 2019 by purchasing all of Fox's entertainment assets.
While Paramount+ is the logical destination for the first four Indiana Jones films, they have not yet made their way there. Instead, all four movies are now streaming on Amazon's Prime Video service. It is probable that they will eventually return to Paramount+, and they might even appear on Peacock or Netflix. One notable aspect of the Indiana Jones franchise that has been temporarily shelved is The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. Disney+ briefly streamed this series last year, but its two-season run is no longer available on any streaming platform.
