Disney Plus greenlights ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ live-action series
It’s official! A series adaptation of Rick Riordan’s popular book series Percy Jackson is coming to Disney Plus.
In a Twitter post on Wednesday, the award-winning author behind the original book series confirmed that Disney Plus has greenlit a series order for Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
"The wait is over, demigods," Riordan said in clip posted on Disney Plus’ Twitter account. "I am thrilled to be the first to tell you that Percy Jackson and the Olympians is really, truly, and for sure coming to your screens. The smart folks at Disney+ have given us the green light."
Riordan said that he will co-write the pilot episode with Jon Steinberg while James Bobin, known for his works in The Muppets, Mysterious Benedict Society, and Dora and the Lost City of Gold, is helming the series.
A message from our friend @RickRiordan. ✨ pic.twitter.com/T6bDYsNOGi
— Disney+ (@disneyplus) January 25, 2022
Steinberg will oversee the series with his producing partner Dan Shotz.
Steinberg and Shotz are serving as executive producers alongside Bobin, Riordan, Rebecca Riordan, Bert Salke, Monica Owusu-Breen, Jim Rowe and Gotham Group’s Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Jeremy Bell, D.J. Goldberg.
The upcoming Disney Plus series is produced by 20th Television.
"With Rick Riordan, Jon Steinberg and Dan Shotz leading our creative team, we're deep into creating a compelling TV series worthy of the heroic mythological characters that millions of Percy Jackson readers know are well-worth caring about, and we're eager to invite Disney+ audiences into stories that are true to the blockbuster franchise and full of anticipation, humor, surprise, and mystery,” Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television, said.
Casting, meanwhile, is currently underway. Riordan announced last year that the preliminary casting call for the titular character has officially started.
“We are looking for an actor who can ‘play 12.’ That allows for a range in the actual age of the actor, but the goal is to stay true to the original story and have Percy’s character age from 12 to 16 over the course of the TV series, assuming of course we are lucky enough to make all five seasons. That will depend on viewership on Disney+, which is where all of you can help!” Riordan said.
The live-action adaptation tells the fantastical story of a 12-year-old modern demigod, Percy Jackson, who's just coming to terms with his newfound supernatural powers when the sky god Zeus accuses him of stealing his master lightning bolt. The series will also follow Percy as he treks across America to find it and restore order to Olympus.
Previously, a film adaptation titled Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief debuted in theaters in 2010 while a second film installment, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, premiered in 2013. Both films starred Logan Lerman as Percy Jackson, Alexandra Daddario as Annabeth, and Brandon T. Jackson as Grover.
Disney Plus has yet to announce the release date for Percy Jackson and the Olympians.