Pulse Con 2022: Lucasfilm and Hasbro Reveal New Indiana Jones Figures and More

It’s a day that Lucasfilm, Hasbro, and Indy fans have been looking forward to for years. New Indiana Jones figures and more are on their way soon, and there’s lots to be excited about. From an iconic Adventure Series to a nostalgic Retro Collection, young and old alike will enjoy these new toy lines inspired by Indy’s first onscreen adventure, Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).

Members of Hasbro’s Star Wars team helped break the news today at the company’s Pulse Con 2022. They included manager of product design, Chris Reiff, who first saw Raiders of the Lost Ark as a child at the local drive-in movie theater. “I think as much as I wanted a lightsaber from Star Wars to be real, I knew it wasn’t going to happen,” he tells Lucasfilm.com. “But Indy! That was here! In our world. I wanted to hop in airplanes, fight bad guys, carry a whip, and I could…”

Reiff was also joined by director of global brand strategy and marketing, Patrick Schneider, who in addition to Indy’s theatrical adventures is also a big fan of The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones on television. “I love seeing Indy’s character and personal history fleshed out,” he says. “I was a history major in college, and the show played a large role in sparking that interest. Most of my research papers were on characters from the television show, including Lawrence of Arabia, Charles de Gaulle, and Albert Schweitzer.”

In an exclusive interview with Lucasfilm.com, both Reiff and Schneider tell us more about these brand new Indiana Jones toys arriving in Spring 2023, including the Adventure Series with five new figures and accompanying “Build an Artifact” pieces, the Retro Collection Indiana Jones inspired by the vintage Kenner toy, and a premium roleplay toy of the headpiece of the Staff of Ra!

Lucasfilm.com: Indy fans have been waiting many, many years for new products to be unveiled. How would you describe your own sense of anticipation?

Patrick Schneider: We have been discussing and planning this line for years, and to be able to finally showcase the amazing work of the team in bringing this full line to life is so satisfying. The Retro line brings me right back to my childhood in the 1980s and we hope that fans will feel this same level of nostalgia. The Staff of Ra artifact is so amazing to be able to interact with that piece of the story, and of course, the Adventure Series is our broadest line bringing the most figures to fans around the world. It has been a dream come true for all of us working on this line, and we expect the anticipation and excitement to continue building over the next year!

Lucasfilm.com: Could you discuss the design process for these Indy products? What types of reference material do you use and how do you collaborate with the team at Lucasfilm? 

Chris Reiff: Working with our partners at Lucasfilm, we dove deep into their amazing reference and resource libraries to be as authentic as possible. We worked from original images and behind-the-scenes photos taken during the production of the films, but we were fortunate that some of our team had the chance to visit the archives to examine original props, costumes, etc. It’s like walking into the warehouse at the end of Raiders, except every box has a Holy Grail or a headpiece to the Staff of Ra or one of Indy’s hats! It’s a rarity to be able to examine things in detail like that and it allowed us to understand the pieces better and bring more detail than ever before to this product.

Lucasfilm.com: Do you have a favorite of the new Adventure Series figures, and if so, could you explain why?

Chris Reiff: I have favorite pieces on all of them, I think, but the Indy figure is probably my favorite. The team did such a great job capturing all the subtleties of the costume and likeness. There’s little stuff to enjoy all over that figure. The opening holster. The weave details on the whip. Separate hands for all his adventuring needs. And that IDOL! Plus, he comes with the cherubs from the top of the Ark of the Covenant Build-An-Artifact.

Lucasfilm.com: It’s been explained that these figures are intended for both adult collectors and kids looking to play in this world. How do you strike the balance between serving both audiences? 

Patrick Schneider: We are confident that both adult collectors and kid fans will love our Adventure Series figures, and we designed them with both in mind. Of course, Indiana Jones is the brand it is because it immediately became beloved by kids back in the 1980s and we are confident it will spark the same love with kids today. Additionally, kids from the 1980s are adult fans today and are eager to share these new toys with their kids. I can speak from experience — my son Caleb went as Indiana Jones for Halloween last year, and I can’t wait to play Indiana Jones with him when these Adventure Series toys come out.

Lucasfilm.com: Marion, Sallah, and Belloq each sport different costumes over the course of Raiders of the Lost Ark. How difficult was it to boil the choice down to one costume per character? 

Patrick Schneider: It was definitely a challenge! Each of these outfits for different scenes are so iconic and play an integral role in the films. In the end, we decided that since Indiana Jones movies are the definitive action and adventure films, we wanted outfits that would place them squarely in the action with Indy. The marketplace conflict is so memorable and iconic and we wanted to celebrate Marion’s role in that scene. And of course, Sallah’s dig disguise is his outfit at that pivotal moment in the film.

Lucasfilm.com: It’s great to see the Retro Collection introduced as well. Although the original line of Indy figures was less robust than Star Wars, what inspiration have you drawn from the vintage Kenner toys? 

Chris Reiff: In a fun way, the vintage Kenner Indiana Jones figures are different from the Star Wars figures of the time. Most of the Indy figures had knee joints. Some, like Indy himself, had spring-loaded arm features. Being authentic is super important. I had some of those figures growing up, but I had never really paid attention to them like I did while we were working on these new items. Seeing how Indy holds his accessories and how the original Kenner sculptors and designers captured details was a nice bit of toy archaeology. I can’t wait for fans to see what other things we have coming!