The Percy Jackson franchise is one of the most popular young adult novels-slash-movies of the decade. It started out as a 5-novel fantasy adventure series written by Rick Riordan. The first book of the series, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: Lightning Thief, was adapted into a movie. The film sequel, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, came out in 2013. The films generally garnered mixed reviews, though commercially successful, due to deviations from the novels. This is why fans all over the world are looking forward to the Percy Jackson series adaptation of the franchise.
Riordan first announced the possibility of a TV series back in December 2019. In May of this year, he finally revealed via Twitter that Disney would be producing the TV series. This time, the American author and his wife will have more involvement in the development of the series unlike with the films wherein they were mostly shutout of the film-making process. This means that the TV series is expected to be more true to the novels which fans are really excited about. So what else are fans looking forward to in the Percy Jackson series?
Amazing CGI and Live-Action Scenes
This December, Rick Riordan posted a teaser on his TikTok showing the logo of the series, and its visuals are on point. This sets the bar high for fans everywhere. Moreover, Disney+ is under a lot of pressure to finally appease the fans, so everyone expects the TV series to have amazing special effects. Disney is also known to go all-out with its productions, so fans should not be disappointed in this area. This gives fans a chance to see beautiful sets and awesome costumes and makeup to really highlight Olympia and all the Greek Gods in all their glory. Apart from amazing CGI, fans should also expect the TV series to be a live-action rendition. This means more realistic visuals versus the films.
Accurate Casting
In the films, many fans criticized the casting due to several reasons. One of the biggest concerns back then was Percy’s age. In the first book, Percy starts his journey at 12 years old. However, in the films, the character was aged up with Logan Lerman, who was 17 at the time, playing Percy. According to Riordan, the TV series will stay true to the books, and will introduce the protagonist at age 12. This makes the casting of Percy more exciting, as each season may cast a new and slightly older Percy (similar to Netflix’s The Crown).
First Season Based on the Lightning Thief
One of the main problems of the films was that everything seemed rushed. Plot changes were made and character development seemed non-existent, all because they tried to fit everything into a few hours. The first season of the TV series will focus solely on the first book which will give the series the chance to get into details and really tell the story more accurately.
In the first film, Percy finds out that he is the son of Poseidon and enters Camp Half-Blood. He goes on a quest to clear his father’s name, and find Zeus’ bolt which he believes is in the Underworld. He goes on his journey with Grover and Annabeth, and encounters obstacles along the way. One of the main villains, the Greek God Ares, didn’t even make it to the big screen. Hopefully, fans will get to see him this time.
The First Five Books
With the first season focusing on the first novel, fans expect to have each season be based on each book. This means having five seasons if the show proves to be successful. Again, Disney+ won’t have the pressure to rush through the plot which will give them the opportunity to get creative with their story-telling.
Cameos of the Original Cast
When Logan Lerman found out that Disney+ is going to work on the TV adaptation of the franchise, he stated that he was interested in playing a role or making a cameo of some sort in the series. Fans are actually excited to see him make an appearance. He could even play Poseidon or maybe just a smaller role. However, we are not so sure if Disney would be willing to associate the series with the Fox films. Here’s to hoping to see some references to the original cast members.
Release Date
Disney has not announced a potential release date for the series, but Riordan already revealed the script of the pilot episode was already finished and submitted to the higher-ups. Becky, Riordan’s wife, stated that the whole process takes time. Riordan even said that it could take 2 years before the series gets released. They still have to work on the next episode’s script, pick the cast, film, and do post-production work. Fans may be waiting for a while, but it seems that the series is worth the wait.
Want to see more live-action remakes by Disney? Check this out!
Check out how YA Fiction Shapes More Than Young Minds
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