The hit book series Percy Jackson and the Olympians may finally be getting its deserved adaptation.
In May 2020, author Rick Riordan announced plans for a TV show in conjunction with Disney Plus. Though it had been in the works for over a year since the announcement, Disney Plus officially greenlighted the series on January 25th. Fans around the world rejoiced, with the #percyjackson making a comeback for the first time in years [2].
The show will cover the plot of The Lightning Thief, the first installment in the five-book series. The book follows 12-year-old Percy Jackson as he learns he is a Greek demigod and comes to terms with the fantastical new world he has discovered. When the king of the gods, Zeus, accuses Percy of stealing his lightning bolt, Percy must journey across America to find the true thief.
Riordan will serve as the executive producer for the show. He and Jon Steinberg have written the screenplay for the pilot, and Riordan has revealed that the script for episodes 1-4 is already in the works [3]. James Bobin, director of “Alice Through the Looking Glass” and “Dora and the Lost City of Gold,” will join this team as director! As of now, no casting information has come to light, but filming is set to begin on June 1st. The show will likely be released in the summer of 2023 [1].
Readers may recall the book series’ first on-screen adaptation — a duology of movies that came out in 2010 and 2013. The movies, directed by Chris Columbus and starring Logan Lerman, were met with mediocre success. However, Riordan and the book series’many fans, were upset at how much the movies deviated from the book. This time around, Riordan promises readers, “you are going to see Percy Jackson. You will be immersed in his world. You will recognize the stories you know and love” [3].
Though nearly 17 years have passed since the release of The Lightning Thief, the news of the adaptation has revived an excited fanbase. The show promises to be fresh, funny, and action-packed, revealing the timelessness of these stories and hinting at a very successful series, indeed.

[1] https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/percy-jackson-and-the-olympians-series-disney-plus-1235162882/
[2] https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a38931501/percy-jackson-tv-series-disney-rick-riordan-pilot/
[3] https://rickriordan.com/news/