Disney+ has announced it has greenlit a series based on the Percy Jackson and the Olympians book series by author Rick Riordan.
The live action series will start from the beginning, and tell the story of 12-year-old modern demigod, Percy Jackson, who is the son of the god Poseidon. He’s just coming to terms with his newfound supernatural powers when the sky god Zeus accuses him of stealing his master lightning bolt. Now Percy must trek across America to find it and restore order to Olympus.
There are currently five books in the series published by Disney Hyperion, and based loosely on Greek mythology, which have sold more than 180 million copies worldwide in over 35 countries.
Riordan wrote the books due to the request of his son, who loved bedtime stories based on Greek myths. When Riordan ran out of stories his son hadn’t heard, the son suggested that Riordan should make up new stories using existing mythological characters. And thus, the series was born.
The first two books in the series have been made into movies, but the films had major deviations from the books and fans gave them mixed reviews.
“Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” came out in 2010, and “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters” in 2013, and both featured actor Logan Lerman as Percy Jackson, along with Alexandra Daddario as Annabeth Chase (daughter of Athena) and Brandon T. Jackson as Grover Underwood (a satyr), both who help Percy on his quests.
The books also inspired a theater musical, “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical,” which had a 16-week run on Broadway from October 2019 to January 2020.
Riordan and Jon Steinberg (“Black Sails,” FX’s upcoming “The Old Man”) will write the pilot for the series, with James Bobin (“The Mysterious Benedict Society”) directing.
Casting is underway for the series, which is set to go into production this summer. The Disney Branded Television series is produced by 20th Television.
“The opportunity to deliver a new fantastical series based on the bestselling book franchise to audiences around the world is thrilling and we look forward to what our partners at 20th Television, Disney Branded Television and the ingenious Rick Riordan have in store for demigods everywhere.” said Michael Paull, president of Disney Streaming, in the announcement.
Riordan, who has been working to get this series made since 2019, made the announcement via social media:
I love the books and am looking forward to this series. Are you excited for a Percy Jackson series? Who would you cast in the role? Let us know in comments!