Percy Jackson and the Olympians – Disney+ greenlights television series

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Author Rick Riordan confirms the series is a go at the streamer. 

In news to please the book series’ legions of fans, author Rick Riordan has announced that the Percy Jackson series is on its way. It’s been known since 2020 that the author was working on a small screen adaptation, but now it’s official.

“The wait is over Demigods!”

For the uninitiated, the Percy Jackson series follows the story of a 12 year old boy who discovers that the Greek Gods are real and that he is the son of Poseidon.

Set in the modern day, Percy is framed for stealing one of Zeus’s most prized possessions. With monsters on his tail and a civil war brewing in the Greek Pantheon, Percy must embark on a quest; from New York to California, he must figure out who really stole it and clear his name.

A more faithful adaptation

While the first two books in the series, The Lightning Thief and The Sea of Monsters were previously adapted for the big screen, starring Logan Lerman in the title role, the stores diverged from the novels in various aspects.

This time, Riordan intends to stay closely involved – he’s co-written the pilot, with Jon Steinberg (Black Sails) and is an executive producer on the show, as is his wife Rebecca Riordan. Jon Steinberg will run the show with his producing partner Dan Shotz. The pilot’s director is James Bobin (Dora and the Lost City of Gold).

Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television said:

“With Rick Riordan, Jon Steinberg, and Dan Shotz leading our creative team, we’re deep into creating a compelling TV series worthy of the heroic mythological characters that millions of Percy Jackson readers know are well-worth caring about, and we’re eager to invite Disney+ audiences into stories that are true to the blockbuster franchise and full of anticipation, humor, surprise, and mystery.”

The Percy Jackson Books

The best-selling Percy Jackson & The Olympians began with The Lightning Thief in 2005. The initial series comprised five books, with a further five in the subsequent Heroes of Olympus series.

Beyond that, the fictional universe broadens out to cover The Trials of Apollo, Egyptian gods (The Kane Chronicles) and Norse Mythology (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard) too. Should the television show be a roaring success, there’s plenty of scope for future seasons.

Naturally, we’ll keep you posted on the show’s progress.