Long before Disney bought Lucasfilm, new Indiana Jones stories came in the form of novels. Like Star Wars, this was common practice, particuarly during the 1990s during which there were no new films to watch. These original novels- of which there were about a dozen- have been out of print for years. Published by Bantam, they were released between the years of 1991 and 1999. Only one more Indiana Jones novel was ever released. Indiana Jones and the Army of the Dead, published by Del Ray in 2009, is currently the only novel still in print. A novelization based on the Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings video game was planned to be released in 2010 but was ultimately canceled due to a schedule change and the lack of audience interest (according to the publisher). Sadly, this novel, by Indiana Jones author Rob MacGregor has never seen the light of day…until now.
Read: Indiana Jones and the Curse of the ‘Legends’ Label: The Future of the Franchise
MacGregor himself has officially announced that he will be reading his “lost novel” over the course of the next few months on his podcast, The Mystical Underground. This is incredibly exciting news for longtime Indiana Jones fans who never were able to read the novel. The news was originally teased by Indiana Jones fanpage Throw Me the Whip back in May, and can be seen here.
Here is the schedule for the audiobook releases:
- Episode 1: August 22, 2021
- Episode 2: September 19, 2021
- Episode 3: October 24, 2021
- Episode 4: November 21, 2021
- Episode 5: December 19, 2021
- Episode 6: January 2, 2022
- ????????: February 20, 2022
As you can see from this release schedule, it looks like we are in for a surprise next February! Perhaps an official book announcement? It is likely that Lucasfilm had to approve this project, so it is possible that they will finally allow the book to be published as was intended back in 2010. Maybe they will release it to coincide with the upcoming film. Only time will tell.
In the meantime, check out the official announcement video below, and subscribe to The Mystical Underground to experience this lost Indiana Jones novel.
