Indiana Jones 2023 - Rumors & Discussion

[EdWebhead]

Just thought it was interesting that Hasbro's Dial of Destiny merchandise is not launching until Fall of this year (well after the film's release), so I still don't think that it's entirely out of the question that LEGO would do the same and launch sets late this year or in 2024. Seems like across the board since it's a relaunch of Indy merchandise they're focusing on the original films to start.

At the very least I would still like to believe that the Temple of Doom is still coming. If content was not an issue then I find it very hard to believe that they would straight up cancel it over a parts issue rather than fix it and release it at a later date. A major design flaw that would require a redesign would just seem like an unusual circumstance considering how much work goes into designing a set and getting it approved before going into production.

We're only in April, all I'm saying is I think it's it's too early to rule out any potential future waves, especially when the theme literally just launched a week ago. I'm going to continue to search for any glimmer of hope that I can. :)

[BrickBob Studpants]

3 hours ago, Mandalorianknight said:

(And before @BrickBob Studpants sends a snarky comment ending in , I'm not saying the temple is coming or that this is solid evidence towards that, just that it makes me wonder.)

I HAVE BEEN SUMMONED.

The whole thing is highly unusual, but we still have no reason not to believe Jay.

1 hour ago, EdWebhead said:

Just thought it was interesting that Hasbro's Dial of Destiny merchandise is not launching until Fall of this year (well after the film's release) […]

Some of the DoD merchandise (like Voller’s plane and Helena’s bike) gets released this month though.

[Kaijumeister]

It seems like toys based on DoD are just minimal compared to the classic films. Maybe companies don’t want to risk going overboard on a film they’re unsure about?

[Tariq j]

Yeah maybe. Aside from a few Hasbro figures and those three 'Worlds of Adventure' toys, all the new merchandise is based of the first 3 films. 

[Mandalorianknight]

9 hours ago, BrickBob Studpants said:

I HAVE BEEN SUMMONED.

This is getting out of hand, now there are 3 of them!

6 hours ago, Kaijumeister said:

It seems like toys based on DoD are just minimal compared to the classic films. Maybe companies don’t want to risk going overboard on a film they’re unsure about?

This is 100% it. Indiana Jones is an unknown in terms of how well it'll sell with kids, so focusing on the stuff that's most popular, the OT, is the best move financially. 

12 hours ago, Kit Figsto said:

I agree, it's very unusual.  I don't know if there will be a second wave of these sets, but the rumors really seem to suggest that it was pulled due to a structural or manufacturing issue, not because of controversy.  If that is the case...there's no reason to think there isn't at least some hope of it coming, especially since the first three seem to be a hit so far.  Like, I'm not banking on it, but I feel like if it were a complete open and shut case of it not coming, we would've gotten a more concrete statement and the pictures never would've come out beyond just the leaks.

With regards to the Target thing, that also makes me believe that my theory of the prices being switched between the Lost Tomb and Temple of Doom is correct, because there's no reason that set should've been $80, considering LEGO didn't even increase their prices from the MSRPs that we got during the summer of 2022 with the original leaks.

I think you're spot on. We definately don't seem to have any real evidence a second wave is coming, but we can't rule it out entirely, especially if these do well. 

I think you're right. It really seems like the prices on the sets were just swapped around, not meant to be increases. Hopefully anyone who bought them at the original prices gets them refunded.

[BrickBob Studpants]

TLG are finally advertising the sets on IG! Guess what half the comments are about though 

[untitled]

Can someone explain to me if the Indiana Jones and the Deal of Destiny sets will be released this summer? I think we should have the first details about them by now...

[BrickBob Studpants]

6 minutes ago, untitled said:

Can someone explain to me if the Indiana Jones and the Deal of Destiny sets will be released this summer? I think we should have the first details about them by now...

I HAVE BEEN SUMMONED AGAIN 

Short answer: no. TLG is not on the list of licensees for the movie and there are no listings anywhere. So there won’t be any DoD sets this year, and by next year it’ll be too late

[untitled]

2 minutes ago, BrickBob Studpants said:

I HAVE BEEN SUMMONED AGAIN 

Short answer: no. TLG is not on the list of licensees for the movie and there are no listings anywhere. So there won’t be any DoD sets this year, and by next year it’ll be too late

Ah, that sucks. We didn't get the Temple of Doom, and now this...

[Rwbricks]

Bricky.dee.williams on Instagram posted a story saying that even though there has been a lot of new Indiana Jones merch, it doesn’t seem like anyone is allowed to make the Thuggees. This would definitely explain the Temple of Doom’s cancellation. 

[HuntFX]

1 minute ago, Rwbricks said:

Bricky.dee.williams on Instagram posted a story saying that even though there has been a lot of new Indiana Jones merch, it doesn’t seem like anyone is allowed to make the Thuggees. This would definitely explain the Temple of Doom’s cancellation. 

Mola Ram is still in the pipeline I believe, he was listed in a character list in a target description that was taken down. 

[untitled]

The set seemed odd to me when the first leaked image appeared. Nevertheless, I'd rather have it released than just canceled.

[Mandalorianknight]

38 minutes ago, Rwbricks said:

Bricky.dee.williams on Instagram posted a story saying that even though there has been a lot of new Indiana Jones merch, it doesn’t seem like anyone is allowed to make the Thuggees. This would definitely explain the Temple of Doom’s cancellation. 

Maybe he does have info, but the way I read this is just speculation, and since Hasbro's action figure choices are wild anyway, I think it's just more likely no one's made the Thuggees yet. There are Thuggee-adjacent action figures like hypnotized Indy, too, so I wouldn't count them out yet.

[BrickBob Studpants]

Well, ToD, KotCS, and DoD don't get much (or any) love from Funko and Hasbro either, so we can blame Lucasfilm for this whole situation

Edited April 10, 2023 by BrickBob Studpants

[karrit]

Yes, Kathleen Kennedy likes to erase things that will sell well while destroying canon.  I seriously don't get why she is still in charge.  Can't imagine George would really approve a lot of what she's been schilling lately.

[PsychoBuilder]

2 minutes ago, karrit said:

Yes, Kathleen Kennedy likes to erase things that will sell well while destroying canon.  I seriously don't get why she is still in charge.  Can't imagine George would really approve a lot of what she's been schilling lately.

Well this upcoming conversation is going to be fun, anyone gonna make some popcorn?

Edited April 10, 2023 by Brickroll

[BrickBob Studpants]

Looking at the output of the other toy companies, it's not that surprising anymore that this is all we're getting. Oh well

[PGBQW]

3 hours ago, karrit said:

Yes, Kathleen Kennedy likes to erase things that will sell well while destroying canon.  I seriously don't get why she is still in charge.  Can't imagine George would really approve a lot of what she's been schilling lately.

Reddit comment

[Xzmmc]

I get the idea Lucasfilm is hesitant to push any of the Thuggee stuff from ToD because of how it could definitely be uh...controversial to say the least. So it's possible Lucasfilm were the ones who told Lego to can it. But who knows, we're apparently still getting Mola Ram in the Hasbro figure line.

Either way, it's kind of a bummer that it looks like this is all we're getting. This was a chance to fill in the gaps from the original line. I know we'll never get the tank, but why in neither wave did we get a Grail Temple? Come on, the 3 trials are perfect for action features, it practically builds itself.

[Mandalorianknight]

7 hours ago, karrit said:

Yes, Kathleen Kennedy likes to erase things that will sell well while destroying canon.  I seriously don't get why she is still in charge.  Can't imagine George would really approve a lot of what she's been schilling lately.

Not that I don't agree on a more general level that KK should probably have been removed after the sequels, but I am almost 100% confident that she has absolutely nothing to do with the specific indiana jones merchandise we're getting.

4 hours ago, Xzmmc said:

I get the idea Lucasfilm is hesitant to push any of the Thuggee stuff from ToD because of how it could definitely be uh...controversial to say the least. So it's possible Lucasfilm were the ones who told Lego to can it. But who knows, we're apparently still getting Mola Ram in the Hasbro figure line.

Either way, it's kind of a bummer that it looks like this is all we're getting. This was a chance to fill in the gaps from the original line. I know we'll never get the tank, but why in neither wave did we get a Grail Temple? Come on, the 3 trials are perfect for action features, it practically builds itself.

I feel like if lego had the opportunity to say they canned it over "values misalignment" or whatever, they'd do it instantly, as they've had no problem saying so in the past. I think the main rumor that an element of the set wasn't working right is probably the truth.

7 hours ago, BrickBob Studpants said:

Well, ToD, KotCS, and DoD don't get much (or any) love from Funko and Hasbro either, so we can blame Lucasfilm for this whole situation

I do wonder what level of control Lucasfilm exerts over this. Since Hasbro is making a solid amount of ToD figures, and of course a lego ToD set managed to get pretty dang far in development, I doubt lucasfilm had some directive against ToD sets, but I wouldn't be surprised if they requested KotCS material be kept to a minimum. At the same time, though, you'd think they'd want the merch companies pushing DoD hard, which makes me think the toy companies have some real say in what gets made into sets. From a film perspective, you want as much direct tie-in merch around as possible to build hype, but from a merch maker perspective, you want to focus on the stuff you KNOW people love, and therefore will sell.

[Kaijumeister]

16 hours ago, BrickBob Studpants said:

Looking at the output of the other toy companies, it's not that surprising anymore that this is all we're getting. Oh well

I’m thinking that a lot of toy companies still remember the burnout that came from the 2008-9 Indy merchandise, a lot of which got put on clearance fairly quickly. Lego made so many sets, Hasbro made goodness knows how many figures across different scales and play patterns etc. The merchandise push we’re seeing now is much more tempered and focused on guaranteed sellers.

I’m sure Funko will produce 340,450,000 POPs over the coming year because, well, they’re Funko, but Hasbro’s output is certainly more adult-focused. The only kids toys they’re producing are the handful of ‘Worlds of Adventure’ toys, a role play whip, and a large electronic Indy figure - a far cry from the swathes of merchandise we saw 15 years ago.

Edited April 11, 2023 by Kaijumeister

[Textorix]

21 hours ago, BrickBob Studpants said:

TLG are finally advertising the sets on IG! Guess what half the comments are about though 

I mean that is the right way to show them that we want more Indy sets... the other is of course buying those that are currently avaible.

[PGBQW]

1 hour ago, Textorix said:

I mean that is the right way to show them that we want more Indy sets... the other is of course buying those that are currently avaible.

I see what you mean, but the unpaid intern running the Instagram page has no way of making the set happen

[BrickBob Studpants]

1 hour ago, Textorix said:

I mean that is the right way to show them that we want more Indy sets... the other is of course buying those that are currently avaible.

That won’t change anything short-term. If more sets are on the way in 2024 (which I highly doubt), they were already planned, without taking our feedback and overall sales into consideration. The only thing this could affect is more sets beyond 2024, which is even less likely.

Look at how long it took for the 501st BP to become a reality! Non-evergreen themes are just too short-lived for this sort of shenanigans to have an effect.

Moreover, the rather meager output by Hasbro and Funko shows that IJ isn’t exactly a merchandise juggernaut anymore (if it ever was one). It’s not just TLG that don’t seem to have a lot of faith in the IP 

Edited April 11, 2023 by BrickBob Studpants

[Xzmmc]

Indiana Jones toys have never been a terribly hot seller from what I've heard. The Kenner figure line from the 1980s failed after a single wave, as did the Temple of Doom LJN line. Last Crusade got no merchandising at all, and the final wave of Hasbro's efforts in 2008 limped to the finish line with very limited distribution. Dunno how the initial Lego line did, but if the action figures sales are anything to go by? If they did indeed have lukwarm sales, might explain why there's only 3 new ones.