Last year, Disney announced they were working on a brand new series for Disney+ based on Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians book series, which is about Percy, who is a demigod and when he is accused of stealing Zeus’s lightning bolt, he sets off to find the bolt and settle the fight between the gods.

Over the weekend, the author gave an update on the upcoming Disney+ series, confirming that they are in talks with a director and development is ongoing.

The latest: We do not yet have an official “green light,” but things are moving along nicely in my estimation. The pilot script has now made it through the very highest levels of Disney execs and everybody likes it. We have met with the studio heads and streaming service execs, and we feel a lot of love and support from Disney, which I really appreciate! Our core production team (me, Becky, our show-runners and our fellow producers) have spent the last year learning to work together efficiently and effectively (through Zoom, of course). I’m delighted to say that our thinking is aligned in terms of what we want this show to be, and I remain confident we will make something great for you all to watch. Again . . . it just takes time. A lot of time. Imagine how complicated you think making a TV show would be. Multiply that times one hundred. It is even more complicated than that. And our process, from what I’ve been told, has been relatively easy! It’s fascinating though, and I’m learning a ton.

Right now, we are starting to plan next steps so we can give our partners at the studio and streaming service a good comprehensive picture of what this show will require. What’s the first season look like? (Hint: It will follow the plot of The Lightning Thief). What will the budget look like? (Hint: Good TV ain’t cheap. Quality-wise, this has to stand toe-to-toe with Disney+ hits like Wandavision and Mandalorian.) Who do we have in mind for directors? (Hint: I can’t give you any hints, but we are having conversations about this.) Casting? (No, we are still not there yet, but we have begun to talk about how the process will work when we do get there.) At a guess, I would say we have a couple more months of these conversations and planning meetings before we get our finalized game plan and (hopefully) get approval to move forward. I am optimistic it will happen. There is a lot of excitement and momentum, and it really helps that Disney understands just how wonderful and massive a fanbase Percy Jackson has, so thank you all for that! I will, as always, keep you posted, but if you see other information or “inside scoops” floating around social media, remember it is just clickbait. What I’ve told you above is as much as anyone knows, including me.

It’s great to hear that the series is moving along and more importantly, that they are planning on the series being at a level on par with mega-hits like “The Mandalorian” and “WandaVision”.   That’s some big shoes to fill, but “Percy Jackson” could be a huge draw to Disney+ subscribers.

Rick Riordan has been very open throughout the process of the development of the series by keeping fans informed and reducing the amount of false information being spread on the internet.  With the series still in the early stages, it will be a while before the series arrives on Disney+.

20th Century Fox made two movies based on the first two books from the series, both of which are available on Disney+.

Are you excited about the new “Percy Jackson” Disney+ series?

 

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Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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1 Comments

  1. ScionStorm March 8, 2021

    Another series Disney+ might want to look at optioning is Michael Vey. Follows a group of kids born with electrical powers. I'd suggest the Gone series at well but I think Sony still has the film rights even though they haven't done anything with them in years and the events are a little more mature in that series even though the entire cast are kids from toddlers to teenagers. I mean once you start writing about a sadist with a whip arm, a girl trying to lead a kindergarten class to suicide off a cliff and man-eating pirrahna worms in the vegetable garden I think Disney+ probably isn't the right venue for presenting life in "the FAYZ".