Praise Zeus: Disney Plus officially green lights Percy Jackson & The Olympians series
Novel series author Rick Riordan and Jon Steinberg are teaming up to write the pilot
Alright, young queer people who were really into Greek mythology in the mid ‘00s and were ultimately disappointed by the horrific Percy Jackson film series starring Logan Lerman (and okay, children who have an interest in the book series now, too)—this one’s for you.
It’s been announced by author Rick Riordan that his beloved novel series Percy Jackson And The Olympians will be adapted into a television series at Disney+, with he and Jon Steinberg (FX’s The Old Man, Black Sails) penning the pilot. With the project in development since May 2020, it’s now officially on its way to the streamer.
“The wait is over, demigods,” Riordan says in the video. “I am thrilled to be the first to tell you that Percy Jackson and the Olympians is really, truly, and for sure coming to your screens.”
Riordan also shares the pilot will be directed by James Bobin, who recently directed the pilot for fellow Disney+ series adaptation of The Mysterious Benedict Society, starring Tony Hale and Kristen Schaal.
“Bringing Rick Riordan’s brilliant Percy Jackson books to Disney+ as a television series has been a mission for so many of us at this company as well as for Rick himself, and Jon, Dan, James and the excellent team they have assembled have proven to be the perfect collaborators,” 20th Television president Karey Burke says in a statement. “This will be an adaptation for the ages, with all the excitement, action and mythology fans of the books expect and love.”
The Percy Jackson And The Olympians novel series follows a young teen named Percy Jackson, who discovers he’s a demigod with the absent Poseidon for a father. While attending Camp Half-Blood, Jackson befriends fellow demigods and eventually must embark on a journey to return Zeus’ lightning bolt to Mount Olympus. He comes across many other characters from Greek lore, including other Greek gods, Medusa, the Fates, and more. The series consists of five novels including The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan’s Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, and The Last Olympian.
The Lightning Thief and The Sea Of Monsters were turned into two films starring in 2010 and 2013, and also starred Alexandra Daddario (The White Lotus), Steve Coogan, and Brandon T. Jackson. It’s a shame they were terribly written because they sure did knock it out of the park with the casting of Lerman as Jackson. While Disney was involved with these lackluster productions, Riordan is taking on a much closer role to the series.
No castings or release dates for the Disney+ series have been shared yet.