Percy Jackson is coming back to the screen. We Got This Covered has heard from our sources – the same ones who said an Aladdin sequel was in development and that Ewan McGregor was returning as Obi-Wan, both of which we now know to be true – that a TV series based on the bestselling books by author Rick Riordan is in early development. Unlike the movie franchise though – which consists of 2010’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and 2013’s Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters – the intention is to faithfully adapt all five novels in The Olympians series. Season 1 would tackle the first, season 2 the second and so on.
What’s more, we’ve been informed that the show, likely to be on Disney Plus, will probably star young unknown actors of around 12 years of age. This is also in contrast to the movies, which featured Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario and Brandon T. Jackson as the eponymous son of Poseidon and his friends Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood, respectively. The trio’s ages ranged from 18-25 by the time Lightning Thief came out.
Lerman and Daddario, in particular, have had successful careers since, but their advanced age likely contributed to the decision to call it quits on the movies after just the two. Going with younger actors who better match the ages of the characters has got to be the right decision, then, so that they can commit to the roles long-term. What’s more, audiences often connect to teen protagonists that they can watch grow up on screen (see: Stranger Things and the Harry Potter films), which is another reason why this would be a smart move.
The information we’ve been given on the project ends there unfortunately, but it’s interesting to note that Riordan provided an update on the situation on Twitter recently, explaining that he had “nothing to announce” at the moment but that he was working hard to get something off the ground. So, it seems like the pieces are still coming together but we imagine it’s just a matter of time now before an official announcement is made and the future of Percy Jackson becomes a bit more clear. As always, watch this space for more.