Percy Jackson fans have been waiting a long time for a faithful adaptation of the popular fantasy book series by author Rick Riordan. Although the two 20th Century Fox movies had their moments they were pretty big failures. They changed a lot of the source material and rushed the plot. Thankfully, it looks like Percy Jackson and the demigods of Camp Half-Blood are about to get a second chance at life!
Riordan announced on his official twitter, alongside his wife Becky, that a Percy Jackson TV series is in the early stages of development at Disney+.
Pssst. Hey, demigods . . . pic.twitter.com/7ep4aeyS3I
— Rick Riordan (@rickriordan) May 14, 2020
Here is the official statement from Riordan:
“Hey Percy Jackson fans, for the past decade, you’ve worked hard to champion a faithful on-screen adaptation of Percy Jackson’s world. Some of you have even suggested it would be a great series for Disney+. We couldn’t agree more! We can’t say much more at this stage but we are very excited about the idea of a live-action series of the highest quality, following the storyline of the original Percy Jackson five-book series, starting with The Lightning Thief in season one. Rest assured that Becky and I will be involved in person in every aspect of the show. There will be much more news in the future, but for now, we have a lot of work to do! Buckle up, demigods. It’s going to be a fantastic exciting ride!”
This is exactly what fans (myself in particular) have been waiting for: a faithful adaptation that properly adapts the series. This property could be a big one for Disney+ and rival The Mandalorian in the long run for its most popular series. Sure, The Mandalorian is huge, but in ten years it could be the House of Cards of Disney+ while Percy Jackson is its Stranger Things.
There’s also plenty of material to turn into spin-offs. Percy Jackson is part of a much larger universe rooted in various mythologies. After Percy Jackson and the Olympians there is the five-part Heroes of Olympus series continuing the narrative. That means that Percy Jackson could run for ten seasons (and 100 episodes). There is also The Kane Chronicles focusing on Egyptian mythology and Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard focusing on Norse mythology. All of these series have ties to the original Percy Jackson series meaning that if Riordan and Disney+ develop the series properly there is a chance for a cinematic universe on the streaming service.
This series is in the earliest stages of development which means we probably won’t see it on the service until 2022. I’m excited to watch this project come together and find out who they cast. More thoughts on this news in the future.
What are your thoughts on the Percy Jackson series? Have you read any books by Riordan?
