While Disney+'s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series promises an epic story after dropping the first teaser at D23, fans of the beloved books by Rick Riordan know this isn't the first on-screen adaptation attempt. Although the original films did moderately well at the box office, they were considered colossal disappointments by fans, who hope this new reboot will bring a more accurate and impactful iteration.
But beyond Percy Jackson, a handful of other young adult book-to-film depictions could also benefit from a television series reboot, either continuing the legacies or creating adequate adaptations that reflect the same magic and popularity of their book materials.
The Chronicles of Narnia (2005-2010)
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Despite the film series performing well with audiences, critics, and even the box office, The Chronicles of Narnia did not live up to the high expectations C.S Lewis' renowned book series set.
The books were loved for their impressive world-building, heartwarming coming-of-age messages, and expert storytelling that failed to translate fully on-screen with the films. With much of the series left unadapted, a TV series would provide an opportunity to portray a more thorough, chronological, and accurate Chronicles of Narnia, perhaps through the rumored Netflix production.
Harry Potter (2001-2011)
Widely considered one of the most successful and popular young-adult film adaptations, the original Harry Potter films are also seen as movies that would be great as a TV series.
Given the much more vast world of the books, including countless important scenes and dialogues that were cut from the films, a TV series would be the perfect amalgamation of the films' nostalgia with new on-screen content. Plus, it would provide the opportunity to keep the Wizarding World's legacy going after the less acclaimed Fantastic Beasts series.
The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising (2007)
Based on Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising Sequence series, The Seeker was meant to be the first in a line of adaptations for the renowned young-adult fantasy series.
Unfortunately, the film's finalized screenplay deviated quite a bit from Cooper's original material, with many changes made to try and create a unique feel for the series in a fantasy-dominated industry. With five novels worth of interesting content and moral dilemmas, Cooper's work is better suited for a TV series that would allow the original texts to flourish and be accurately represented on screen in a much-deserved revival.
The Twilight Saga (2008-2012)
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Stephenie Meyer's book series - about human Bella finding herself in a supernatural world of vampires and werewolves - got a worthy and triumphant on-screen adaptation with The Twilight Saga.
Despite the films presenting plenty of meme-worthy content, the series has managed to maintain its popularity and relevance even a decade after its release. This pop-cultural significance, combined with the current Twilight renaissance and the various threads from the books that the movies should have explored, make the series a worthy contender for a TV series reboot. Not to mention the opportunity to rectify its more cringe-worthy content.
The Hunger Games (2012-2015)
Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games was by no means an unsuccessful series, as witnessed by its newest bestseller, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, released just in 2020.
The film series thrived thanks to the books' intriguing concept, important political messages, and shocking yet realistic finale. The biggest appeal was the compelling protagonist, as Katniss Everdeen was one of the most badass women in 2010 action movies. These factors are also why the film deserves a TV series reboot, with many of the books' secondary and fan-favorite characters deserving more screen time, along with the games being explored more in-depth than before.
The Divergent Series (2014-2016)
While Veronica Roth's science fiction young adult series, the Divergent trilogy, was applauded for its gripping narrative, the film adaptations failed to create that same spark with critics and book fans.
The series performed so poorly that the final film (meant to portray the second half of the final novel) ended up getting canceled. A TV reboot would, thus, not only provide a chance for the books to salvage their reputation but also give fans a chance to see the beloved books get the on-screen ending and closure they deserve.
Beautiful Creatures (2013)
Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl's Caster Chronicles series had all the makings to join the list of best supernatural teen movies, such as star-crossed young lovers, magic, and enthralling light and dark forces.
Unfortunately, the 2013 adaptation of the first novel, Beautiful Creatures, was a commercial and critical failure (via Box Office Mojo), disappointing die-hard fans of the successful book series. Given the resurgence of popularity in supernatural teen media and the larger market for streaming, a rebooted show could be a better choice for Ethan and Lena's tale instead.
The Maze Runner Series (2014-2018)
Considered one of the best teen sci-fi movies, The Maze Runner series offered an accurate and enjoyable film series adaptation of the book series by James Dashner.
Although a formidable and well-executed on-screen version of the series, the films - like all book-to-screen adaptations - left out many scenes that added to the suspenseful and gritty tone that set apart the renowned books. Plus, Dashner's prequel novels provide untouched source material for a series that could create a new chronology of events as well as a more holistic version of the series.
I Am Number 4 (2011)
The first of Pittacus Lore's Lorien Legacies series, I Am Number Four was meant to spearhead the series' book-to-film adaptations. Sadly, the film was heavily criticized for its lackluster plot, pacing, and cast performances.
Given the series' massive content, spread over seven novels and many short tie-in works, there is a lot of content that a TV series could successfully explore, especially now that the film's trial run has shown what should be bettered. It's certainly a worthy series that could make waves if executed correctly on the small screen.
Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (2009)
Although the film adaptation of Darren Shan's renowned series was highly anticipated, the first Cirque Du Freak film failed to garner favor from audiences.
Part of this can be attributed to the changes from its source material, with the film merging together the contents of the first three books into one overstuffed and underdeveloped plot. A TV series, however, would offer more time for each book installment to be properly explored, in a manner similar to the successful A Series of Unfortunate Events television reboot. Given the vast supernatural world that Darren explores, along with its plethora of great characters and intense adventures, a TV revival is exactly what this book series needs and deserves.