Which studio distributed the first four Indiana Jones films?

The first four Indiana Jones films were distributed by Paramount Pictures. The films are Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008).

Paramount’s role was distribution rather than ownership of the character or franchise. Lucasfilm produced the films, with George Lucas creating the character and Steven Spielberg directing the first four adventures. This distinction matters because Disney later acquired Lucasfilm and became the distributor of the fifth film, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023).

A common mix-up is to answer Disney because Disney now owns Lucasfilm and distributed the fifth movie. However, a 2013 agreement transferred distribution rights for future films to Walt Disney Studios while Paramount retained distribution rights to the original four. Paramount also retained financial participation in later entries, which explains why its name continued to appear in connection with the series.