'Percy Jackson & The Olympians': Release date, plot, cast, news and all you need to know about the Disney+ series
Fans of Rick Riordan's 'Percy Jackson & The Olympians' book series have waited for a really look time for a faithful live-action adaptation of the books. It now looks like we are one step closer to seeing Percy, Annabeth and all their friends brought to life the way we always wanted to see them. A Disney+ show based on the bestselling novel series is in the works and it promises to be a much better adaptation of the source material than the universally panned live-action movies by 20th Century Fox.
Here’s everything you need to know about the project.
Release date
The show has just been announced so it will be a while before we get an official release date. Stay tuned for more.
Where to watch
The 'Percy Jackson' series will arrive on the Disney+ streaming service. This is the latest big IP that Disney has decided to mine for its streaming service with a number of Marvel Cinematic Universe shows in the works and at least one 'Star Wars' show, 'The Mandalorian', already available on the service.
Plot
The books follow the adventures of Percy Jackson, a demigod son of Poseidon, as he learns about the world of gods and monsters. The books follow the epic journey of his life from the age of 12 to 16. There's plenty of material within the five books of the series and Percy's story is further explored in the sequel series 'Heroes of Olympus', which means the show has more than enough content in the source material to pull off 10 long seasons at the very least.
Riordan and fans of the series have been vocal critics of the 2010 and 2013 movies because of the drastic changes made to the story, including aging up Percy to 16 so as to appeal to an older audience, which seriously took away from the joy of seeing the character grow and evolve. Since Disney+ is marketed for its kid-friendly content, this should hopefully not be an issue and fans can finally get the 'Percy Jackson' series we have always wanted.
Cast
No announcements have been made yet on the cast of the show. We know that the first season will be based on the first book 'The Lightning Thief' so we are expecting to see Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Grover Underwood, Luke Castellan, Chiron the Centaur and the Olympians among others in Season 1 itself. Watch this space for updates as they come.
Creator
Rick Riordan
Riordan came up with the story for the books when he was making up bedtime stories for his son Haley Riordan who, like most of the characters in the book, was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia. Not only did Riordan manage to create a uniquely interesting narrative that perfectly blends classical myth with a modern-day setting, but in the process, he also managed to turn dyslexia and ADHD into superpowers that are just misunderstood outside of the right context.
The author will be working closely on the show to ensure it is a faithful adaptation of the books. He had previously stepped away from the movies when he realized the studio had a radically different vision of the source material and has been one of the most vocal critics of the films.
News
Riordan announced the new Disney+ series on his Twitter feed on May 14 with a video and a small text message. He thanked fans for all their support and assured them that while he "can't say more at this stage", he will be working closely on the project. He also revealed that the series will stick to the timeline of the books with Season 1 being based on the first book.
Trailer
A trailer for the series hasn't been released yet but we will be sure to update this section whenever it becomes available. Watch this space for more.
If you like this, you’ll love these:
'His Dark Materials'
'The Chronicles of Narnia'
'Shadowhunters'
'Legacies'
'Charmed'