Author Rick Riordan Gives Important Update On New ‘Percy Jackson’ Disney+ Series
Everyone was pretty excited when news hit the web that Disney+ was making a brand new Percy Jackson series. And
Lillie Gissen
Everyone was pretty excited when news hit the web that Disney+ was making a brand new Percy Jackson series. And now, the author of the books it’s based off of, Rick Riordan, has given us a much-needed update on the new show.
“We have a couple of important meetings this coming week with the top brass at the studio for the Percy Jackson TV show, so keep your fingers crossed. Everyone who has read the pilot script loves it, but there will be a few additional tweaks we need to make before we send it off to its next stop: the top execs at Disney+,” he wrote on his blog. “That’s normal. In script writing, as in every other kind of writing, you can expect to do many, many drafts! All the input has been super positive and helpful, though. Everyone is committed to making this the best show we possibly can. I remain excited and guardedly optimistic that we are on the verge of getting a really first-rate project off the ground. As always, though, good things require time and patience! Stay tuned!”
But wait, what is the new show going to be about, you ask? Will it continue where the movies left off or will it retell the story? Are any of the OG stars going to reprise their roles? And who else is in the cast? Not to worry, you guys, because we went ahead and rounded up all the important details for you. Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming Disney+ Percy Jackson series…
The Show Will Retell The Original Story
As fans know, the Percy Jackson movies came out in 2010 and 2013, and they quickly became two of the most beloved flicks of all time! The films (which starred Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, Brandon T. Jackson and more) were based off of a five-part book series written by Riordan. Now, almost eight years later, Disney has announced that they are making a new spinoff based on the franchise, and it turns out, the new series won’t be a continuation of the movies, but instead, it will retell the original story.
“Hey Percy Jackson fans, for the past decade, you’ve worked hard to champion a faithful on-screen adaptation of Percy Jackson’s world,” the author wrote on Twitter last year. “Some of you have even suggested it would be a good series for Disney+. We couldn’t agree more! We can’t say much more at this stage but we are very excited about the idea of a live-action series of the highest quality, following the storyline of the original Percy Jackson five-book series, starting with The Lightning Thief in Season 1. Rest assured that [my wife] Becky and I will be involved in-person at every step of the show. There will be much more news in the future, but for now, we have a lot of work to do! Buckle up, demigods. It’s going to a fantastic, exciting ride!”
Rick Riordan Thinks The Movies Didn’t Do His Books Justice
Last June, the writer admitted that he wasn’t a big fan of the movies. Yep, when a fan asked him why Disney’s streaming service had censored a scene from the first flick, he fired back, “I don’t know but clearly, it’s a mistake. They should censor the entire thing. Just two hours of blank screen.”
And when another Twitter user said it was “refreshing” to see that he “hated the movies as much as they did,” Riordan added, “Well, to you guys, it’s a couple hours entertainment. To me, it’s my life’s work going through a meat grinder when I pleaded with them not to do it. So yeah. But it’s fine. All fine. We’re gonna fix it soon.”
He even admitted that he couldn’t bring himself to watch the movies!
“Finally, I still have not seen the movies, and don’t plan on ever doing so. I judge them from having read the scripts because I care most about the story,” he continued. “I certainly have nothing against the very talented actors. Not their fault. I’m just sorry they got dragged into that mess.”
He has now deleted all of the tweets.
Logan Lerman Is All For The New Show
It’s still unclear whether or not the original stars will return for the new show and who is making up the cast, but Lerman couldn’t contain his excitement about it.
“Excited to see this! Hope it gets the adaptation the books deserve,” the actor wrote on Twitter when it was first announced.
Excited to see this! Hope it gets the adaptation the books deserve. Congrats @rickriordan https://t.co/ReE6EjJICV
— Logan Lerman (@LoganLerman) May 14, 2020
Plus, during an interview with Access Hollywood in May 2020, he said he’d definitely be down to reprise his role!
“Yeah, I’m open to anything! I’m curious to see what’s going to happen with it and I’m just glad that Rick, the writer — it seems like he’s in control or has a say. I’m not sure how much say he had in the [movies] we did way back when a couple years ago. I hope that they get good scripts together,” he said. “That’s the next step. They mention an announcement but the truth is there’s a whole process of development where you have to get good scripts together and get it green lit by the network. I’d be curious to see how it comes along but if I’m right for it, of course I’d consider it.”
Hopefully they share some more details soon!