Hollywood is taking another crack at adapting Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians novels. Only this time, it will be hitting the small screen instead. Accompanied by his wife Becky, Riordan recently shared a video on Twitter announcing that a new TV show based on his beloved series of young-adult fantasy novels is in the works at Disney+. You can watch it for yourself below.
Pssst. Hey, demigods . . . pic.twitter.com/7ep4aeyS3I
— Rick Riordan (@rickriordan) May 14, 2020
Riordan began the Percy Jackson series with The Lightning Thief in 2005 and concluded it in 2009 with The Last Olympian. Previously, 20th Century Fox attempted to launch its own Percy Jackson franchise with Logan Lerman headlining and original Harry Potter director Chris Columbus behind the camera. The first film, based on The Lightning Thief, opened in 2010. Despite earning mixed reviews, the movie was successful enough to warrant a sequel, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Sea of Monsters, in 2013. The rights to the series are now in Disney’s hands after last year’s merger with Fox.
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Riordan also attached a longer statement to his announcement teasing what the Disney+ series will eventually look like. It sounds like each season will cover one book in the five-part series, starting with The Lightning Thief. Riordan also promised that he and his wife “will be involved in person in every aspect of the show;” which may come as a relief to longtime fans of his novels. Both of Fox’s films were criticized for the liberties they took with Riordan’s books. In a blog post published on his official website in 2018, the author himself admitted that he was unhappy with many of these changes.
What are you hoping to see from Disney+’s Percy Jackson series? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: Percy Jackson and the Olympians 5-Book Paperback Box Set
