Hi, my name is Charles, and I’m a fan of the “Percy Jackson” film franchise.
There are movies and TV shows that live in a special place in your heart. No, I’m not talking about that place in your heart that’s the golden shelf where you proudly show off your love of some of the greatest works in film and TV history. No, more like the bottom of your closet, buried under piles of clothes, where you keep your guilty pleasures that you would hate for someone to find, but you like to know are right there when you need them. For me, that’s where I keep “Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.” And so, it’s with conflicted feelings that I tell you that Disney+ is remaking the popular YA fantasy novels into a new series overseen by author Rick Riordan.
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Look, the two ‘Percy Jackson’ films aren’t good. I know this. But I find myself drawn to them when they’re shown on cable. I can’t help it. I never read the books (and likely never will), but ‘Percy Jackson’ feels like ‘Harry Potter’ for people that don’t care about silly robes and magic wands. People that would gladly trade in that wizardry for a nice mythological backdrop. The novels tell the story of Percy, a young man that is the son of a human mother and the Greek god Poseidon. And as you might expect, his life gets turned upside down when his seemingly normal life turns into adventures with other mythological figures.
It’s a story that begs to be adapted into a fantasy series, and it appears that Disney+ is doing just that, and in the announcement from Riordan, it seems as if the studio is interested in taking each of the five novels and devoting a season to each of them.
“We can’t say much more at this stage but we are very excited about the idea of a live-action series of the highest quality, following the storyline of the original ‘Percy Jackson’ five-book series, starting with ‘The Lightning Thief’ in season one. Rest assured that Becky & I will be involved in person in every aspect of the show,” said Riordan.
Here’s the bittersweet part for me. I know Disney+ and Riordan will create a series that is much closer to the beloved novels. Unfortunately, that means it won’t be like the films that star Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, Brandon T. Jackson, Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, and Catherine Keener. But hey, those two films (the sequel is not nearly as good as the first, IMHO) will always be there for me when I need them. So, have your fun, Disney+. Make me love ‘Percy Jackson’ once more.
Here’s the trailer for the first ‘Percy Jackson’ film, as well as the announcement from Riordan: