Rick Riordan, the creator of Percy Jackson & The Olympians, details the damage the film adaptations had on his family. Riordan’s first Percy Jackson book was initially adapted into a feature film in 2010, entitled Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief. Despite the poor reception, the sequel Sea of Monsters was released in 2013. Riordan had little involvement in the films, aside from briefly consulting on the first film and refusing to participate in the sequel’s production.
In a post to Goodreads, Riordan details the damage that the Percy Jackson & The Olympians films had on his family. Responding to a fan question about how Riordan’s sons Haley and Patrick are reacting to Disney+’s Percy Jackson television adaptation, Riordan answered they have little interest in it, as his kids recall how emotionally devastated Riordan and his wife were by the films. Riordan expanded that his sons don’t understand why he decided to do another Percy Jackson adaptation. Read Riordan’s full comment below:
“My sons are not interested at all. They lived through all the pain and disappointment of the movies, so their main concern is for Becky and me. They don’t want this experience to crush us emotionally. They don’t quite understand why we did this to ourselves, since we absolutely didn’t have to, and they have no interest in the show. On the bright side, the process hasn’t crushed us yet! The show is looking good, and we’ve learned a lot. It’s not how I envisioned spending my time the last few years, but hopefully it will be worth it if viewers like the show.”
How Disney’s Percy Jackson Series Is Different from the Films
More than a decade after the release of the Percy Jackson movies, the films are still infamous for being a poor adaptation of the original novel series. Riordan actively spoke against the Percy Jackson films, saying that the studios changed major parts of his story to make them more attractive to a teenage audience. Riordan described the films as “my life’s work going through a meat grinder” and encouraged teachers and educators to refrain from showing the Percy Jackson films to their classes.
Given Riordan’s negative experiences with the Percy Jackson films, his sons’ hesitance over his involvement with the Disney+ television adaptation is understandable. However, what significantly separates the films from the upcoming television series is Riordan’s involvement. While he was barely a consultant on the films, Riordan is an executive producer on the series and has been heavily involved in the show’s production from the very beginning.
Though there is no firm release date yet, the Percy Jackson television series is expected to debut on Disney+ sometime in 2024. On his blog, Riordan has nothing but good things to say about the show, praising everything from the casting to the set design and script. With Riordan’s official stamp of approval, there is hope that the upcoming show can undo the damage the Percy Jackson & The Olympians films did to the beloved fantasy franchise.
Source: Rick Riordan/Goodreads