Did you know?: Disney secures rights for future Indiana Jones films

Walt Disney Co has gained marketing and distribution rights under an agreement with Paramount.

Walt Disney Co has gained marketing and distribution rights for any future Indiana Jones films under an agreement with Paramount Pictures, the studio that released the first four movies in the blockbuster franchise.

Paramount, a unit of Viacom Inc, will retain distribution rights to the original four films, the companies said in a statement on Friday. The Indiana Jones movies were produced by Lucasfilm, which Disney acquired in 2012.

Disney has not yet announced plans for a fifth Indiana Jones movie, though the new deal could make it easier to move forward on a new instalment. Paramount will receive an undisclosed share of the proceeds from any future films.

The series began with 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark starring Harrison Ford as the heroic archaeologist. Ford starred in three later films, most recently Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in 2008. Steven Spielberg directed each of the four movies, which have grossed $1.9 billion worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 9^th, 2013.

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