Rick Riordan, the author of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, is quite confident in the brand-new Disney Plus series, talking it up as the adaptation fans of his books have been waiting for. In 2005, Riordan published the first book in the bestselling series, introducing readers to the characters Grover, Percy, and Annabeth and their epic journey involving well-known Greek mythological figures. After two badly regarded motion pictures, the Disney Plus Percy Jackson series is finally prepared to present a faithful adaptation of Riordan’s original writing.
In an interview with EW that was conducted before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, Riordan discusses his excitement for the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series as the book’s release date approaches. Riordan confirms his significant creative involvement in the project and teases that it will be a legitimate live-action adaptation of his well-known tale. See Riordan’s entire statement down below:
We have been a part of the series since the very first discussions about what a potential new Percy adaption may look like, how it would be conceived, and whether it would be episodic. Therefore, I am confident in informing book fans who have been waiting for this kind of faithful adaptation – in some cases, decades — that this is it. We are involved, and I believe you’ll enjoy it.
How Percy Jackson by Disney Differs From the Films
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, which was published in 2010, had a minor commercial success but received mostly negative reviews. The follow-up, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, released in 2013, had less success overall and was the final major adaptation of Rick Riordan’s book series. The films starred Logan Lerman as the title character, Grover was portrayed by Brandon T. Jackson, and Annabeth was played by Alexandra Daddario.
Since Riordan previously used the blog on his website to describe everything that was wrong with the adaptations, his opinions on the two Percy Jackson movies are now well-known. Early on in the process, Riordan voiced his concerns about the scripts to the studio and outlined the revisions he would make, but his creative contribution was virtually ignored. Most of the modifications would have brought the narrative and the characters more closely in line with his books’ depictions of them.
But now, the Percy Jackson Disney Plus series is prepared to make amends for the mistakes of the past. Together with Jonathan E. Steinberg, Riordan co-created the show, and he also contributed to the scripting of the episodes. Even in the early Percy Jackson and the Olympians previews, it was evident that the show would be more true to the novels, with younger actors playing the three main roles and a more kid-friendly tone.