We have all loved Logan Lerman as our Percy Jackson. Sadly the Fox movie franchise did not kick off as expected and even author Rick Riordan was disappointed with its execution.
Now, there’s a chance of revival via a Disney+ series. Riordan shares some positive updates.
News of the Disney+ series was announced in 2020 after fans created a hashtag #DisneyAdaptPercyJackson to get the streamer’s attention. But other than a logo reveal at 2020’s Comic-Con, the show has not seen much progress since then.
Vibrant efforts only started in April this year when a writers’ room was created. Unlike the movies, Riordan and his wife Becky will be immensely involved in the creation of the Percy Jackson series universe, in order to get it right this time.
Riordan makes sure to keep fans in the loop with weekly/bi-weekly news updates on his website.
In the most recent one dated August 21, he writes about his meeting with Disney Entertainment, Disney TV, 20th Century Studios and Disney+ — all the different branches that will be working together for Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
The main agenda on the meeting was to share information and ensure everyone was on the same page. Here’s an excerpt from the post:
The good news is: the leadership is “all in,” as they put it, about making this show and doing it right. A lot of them have kids who have grown up with Percy Jackson, too, so they get it. They get that there are millions and millions of you out there who are waiting excitedly to see Percy Jackson come to life in a new way. We felt supported and heard, and I am more confident than ever that this show is moving forward as it needs to.
Rick Riordan
The author thanks ardent fans for the support they’ve been showing on social media, assuring them that Disney too sees this enthusiasm and it will come into play while deciding the show’s fate.
A few important bits to note: In the next paragraph, Riordan informs us that the series itself has not been greenlit by Disney+.
But the company has given the writers’ room directions on what is needed to achieve that greenlight. Hence, Riordan and the team will be working diligently on the assumption that the series will ultimately be made.
The writers’ room has already started work on outlining how the story will be covered in each episode, chalking it out scene by scene.
This will ensure planning for creatives and production (which will include scouting locations, costumes, visual effects, etc) begins as well.
The first season will cover the events in Lightning Thief, while overall Riordan hopes the show will have five seasons in total.
The team is also close to sealing the deal with a director for the pilot episode. If it goes well, announcements of the same will be made.
In April, an open preliminary call for the role of Percy Jackson was also announced on Riordan’s site.
The call was looking for an actor (no specific ethnicity) who could “play 12” as the series hoped to cover Percy’s life from 12 to 16 and stay true to the character’s age. Annabeth and Grover would be next in line for getting cast.
As of yet, Riordan informs us that no one has been cast. But the ball will get rolling once the pilot director is on board.
Earlier the author was optimistic about the show premiering in 2022, but he corrects himself in the latest news post, saying he feels that a 2023 release is more realistic.
We’d agree — we’re only on the first chapter of this journey and there’s a lot yet to be set up to re-awaken our favorite Greek mythological world. But Riordan’s approval of Disney is a good sign from the Gods.
About Percy Jackson And The Olympians
Percy Jackson And The Olympians is an upcoming Disney+ show which will follow the events of the book series of the same name by Rick Riordan. The fantasy action series is now in production.
The series will follow each of the five books in the fantasy novel series, covering one book per season. The first season will follow Percy Jackson, who just discovered he is a demigod and son of Poseidon, Greek God of the Sea; Annabeth Chase, the daughter of Athena; and the brave satyr Grover. The first season follows the teens across states as they go on a quest to save Percy’s mother from Hades.
The series stars Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson, Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth Chase, Aryan Simhadri as Grover, Virginia Kull as Saly Jackson, Charlie Bushnell as Luke Castellan, Dior Goodjohn as Clarisse LaRue, and more.
Source: Rickriordan
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