Rick Riordan, creator and author of the Percy Jackson book series, is making sure the Disney+ series goes right. After some failed film adaptations of his books, he's ensuring that the second swing goes better.
The failed movies
Two live-action Percy Jackson films were made: The Lightning Thief and Sea of Monsters. Despite featuring stars such as Logan Lerman and Alexandra Daddario, the films weren't big hits. They grossed a cumulative “$423 million across both entries.
“After the movie experience, I basically wrote off Hollywood for a long, long time,” Riordan confessed to Variety. “I really didn't want to have anything to do with the film industry. There were many years of me saying, ‘I don't want to engage. I don't want to think about other adaptations. I'm done.'”
“I am inevitable”
While he wrote off Hollywood, Riordan also saw the writing on the wall. Percy Jackson was too popular of an IP to not get adapted again. And when Disney acquired the rights during their acquisition of 20th Century Fox, they greenlit a series for Disney+.
“But when it started to become clear that something was going to happen with me or without me, I had a long talk with Becky, my wife. We said, ‘Well, if something's going to happen, it's probably best to give it one more shot,'” Riordan said.
The upcoming Disney+ series, Percy Jackson and The Olympians, stars a teenage cast including Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries, and Aryan Simhadri. The supporting cast includes Adam Copeland (better known as Edge), Virginia Kull, and Glynn Turman. The first season will adapt The Lightning Thief and will premiere on December 20.
Percy Jackson and The Olympians will premiere on December 20 on Disney+.
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