Ron Gilbert: Disney's Corporate Structure Makes New Monkey Island Games "Complicated"
The adventure game legend is prioritizing Thimbleweed Park 2 to avoid the bureaucracy of massive IP holders.
Ron Gilbert, the creator of the Monkey Island series, says that producing another entry in the franchise would be "really complicated" due to the corporate requirements of the IP holder. The veteran designer is instead focusing his efforts on the development of Thimbleweed Park 2.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Gilbert explained that because Disney owns the rights to Monkey Island, the process of making a new game is hindered by the company's preference for large-scale corporate partners. Disney typically avoids working directly with small indie studios like Gilbert's own Terrible Toybox. To navigate this, a third-party publisher—similar to the arrangement with Devolver Digital for 2022's Return to Monkey Island—would be required to act as a middleman.
The struggle with IP ownership
Gilbert is a foundational figure in the adventure game genre, having created Maniac Mansion and the original Monkey Island titles during his tenure at LucasArts. While he has historically expressed a desire for Disney to sell the IP rights back to him, the current reality is one of corporate bureaucracy. Gilbert noted that while Disney has been a good creative partner, the sheer scale of the organization makes the logistics of indie development difficult. "It just gets really complicated," Gilbert stated regarding the corporate structure involved.
A shift toward private funding
To avoid these frictions, Gilbert has adopted an unconventional funding model for Thimbleweed Park 2. Rather than signing a traditional publishing deal, which he has described as unfair to developers, the project is being funded by a private investor. This "wealthy outsider" allows Gilbert to maintain greater creative control and secure a more equitable profit split. According to Gilbert, this arrangement is significantly fairer, ensuring the developer is made whole more quickly through a reasonable split of the returns.
The future of indie adventure
This shift highlights a growing tension between independent creators and the massive conglomerates that own legacy intellectual property. By bypassing the traditional publishing model in favor of private "angel" investment, Gilbert is signaling a broader trend where indie developers seek autonomy over their work to avoid the constraints of corporate IP holders.
For now, fans of Gilbert's work will have to wait for Thimbleweed Park 2, which is currently in development and scheduled for release on Windows PC in early 2028. Whether a new Monkey Island title ever emerges will depend on Gilbert's willingness to navigate the complex middleman system required by Disney.