Demigods everywhere rejoice! A live-action version of Percy Jackson and the Olympians is headed to Disney+ announced author Rick Riordan today on Twitter.
Riordan penned the five book series following the adventures of Percy Jackson, demigod son of Poseidon and his friends Annabeth Chase (demigod daughter of Athena) and satyr Grover Underwood. The first novel The Lightning Thief introduces us to the world of Greek gods and monsters set in modern times as Percy tries to clear his name after being accused of stealing Zeus’s master bolt.
Pssst. Hey, demigods . . . pic.twitter.com/7ep4aeyS3I
— Rick Riordan (@rickriordan) May 14, 2020
The author has also written four other series that are all interconnected through various characters. Warning some minor SPOILERS AHEAD:
- Heroes of Olympus – a series combining both Greek and Roman demigods as they deal with a new prophecy to stop the awakening of Gaia.
- The Kane Chronicles – we follow the adventures of young magicians Sadie and Carter Kane as ancient Egyptian gods are released into the modern world and chaos soon ensues.
- Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard – we meet Magnus Chase, a demigod who must deal with some tricky Norse gods, discover secrets from his family’s past, and stop doomsday.
- The Trials of Apollo – what happens if a god falls from grace? Find out when the Greek god of the sun Apollo is condemned to mortality as he tries to redeem himself in the eyes of his father Zeus.
Disney-Hyperion also gave him his own imprint under Rick Riordan Presents that highlights mythologies and cultures from around the world. My personal favorite is the Aru Shah series by Roshani Chokshi.
Previously there were two feature films that adapted the first and second books: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010) and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013). Logan Lerman and Alexandra Daddario starred as Percy and Annabeth. Fan response to the films have been mixed but Riordan assures his audience that he will be heavily involved in the upcoming Disney+ series and it will closely follow the storylines from the source material.
With so many titles under his belt, this certainly opens the possibility for more novels to be adapted in the future. But in the meantime as we wait for more news, check out the books! Or re-read them, I know I will be!
