Percy Jackson receives long awaited live-action adaptation

The Percy Jackson books, written by Rick Riordan, are revered by many. For most people, including myself, reading the Percy Jackson series was a childhood delight. Many longed to see these amazing works of fiction adapted into a movie series, like J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books.

In 2010, 20th Century Fox released the first Percy Jackson titled “Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief.” Criticism from the fanbase was immense and continued to increase after the release of the second film, “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters.” The plots for these two films largely deviated from the original book storylines, causing outrage among fans. Riordan himself has spoken out about his limited influence in the making of the films and how he actually refused to watch them.

Logan Lerman, starring as Percy Jackson, in 20th Century Fox’s film adaptation. (Image courtesy of 20th Century Fox)

Due to the poor reception, a third Percy Jackson film was never made. Fans worldwide called these films “wasted potential,” citing how if the writers and producers had followed the books more closely, it could have had the same success as Universal Studios’ Harry Potter movies.

On May 14, Riordan announced on his Instagram the exciting news: Percy Jackson would be receiving a reboot through the form of a television series to be aired on Disney+. Riordan also explained that this time, he will be actively involved in all parts of the show, ensuring a faithful adaptation that does the books proper justice.

Rick Riordan’s tweet, announcing the arrival of a live-action adaptation for Percy Jackson.

Many people, including myself, are extremely excited to see where this goes. Even though the show is still in its earliest stages of development, fans worldwide are eagerly awaiting more updates on the show’s production. For me, I am both relieved and ecstatic that the Percy Jackson books will finally be receiving their well-deserved live-action adaptation.