Percy Jackson creator Rick Riordan reveals that filming for the upcoming Disney+ TV show has already covered almost half of the original novel. The first book in Riordan's fantasy adventure series, The Lightning Thief, was first published in 2005, and Percy Jackson & The Olympians has since gone on to become one of the best-selling book series of all time. The story follows its titular character, a 12-year-old demigod whose life changes after he discovers that his father is Poseidon. Percy is thrust into a world filled with ancient Greek gods and monsters and must undertake a quest to save the world alongside his two best friends, Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood.
Due to the books' immense success, there was an attempt to adapt Percy Jackson into a movie series, but it was called off after only two were released. Thankfully, Disney picked up the rights to Percy Jackson in 2019 and a Disney+ TV show was greenlit in 2022, with Riordan attached as an executive producer and writer. Season 1 will cover The Lightning Thief and will star Walker Scobell (The Adam Project) as Percy, Leah Sava Jeffries (Beast) as Annabeth, and Aryan Simhadri (Cheaper By the Dozen) as Grover. Filming for Percy Jackson began in June this year in Vancouver.
Throughout the series' development, Riordan has been keeping Percy Jackson fans updated regularly on his website. In his latest post, the author shares how far along production has come, with a tease at what is still left to do. He also reassures fans yet again that the TV show will be closely following the book. Check out Riordan's full comments below:
How much Percy content have we covered? Put it this way: If you were following along in the book, we have pretty much filmed through chapter nine in The Lightning Thief. That’s a big chunk of the story, but there is a massive amount of fun and games still to come! And yes, the filming has followed the book story very closely, almost as if the author were involved himself!
This update is terrific news for Percy Jackson fans, who have been patiently following the show's progress. Those who read The Lightning Thief will know that chapter 9 is almost halfway through the novel, which has 22 chapters total. At that point, Percy has already been introduced to the demigods at Camp Half-Blood, and he is preparing to undertake a quest to clear his name and prevent war among the gods. Additionally, the "fun and games still to come" that Riordan teases probably refers to the wide variety of adversaries that Percy encountered on his quest in The Lightning Thief, including the gorgon Medusa and the god of the Underworld Hades.
Of course, there is still much more work to be done before Percy Jackson makes its way to Disney+. Per Riordan's latest estimate, the series may not be premiering until early 2024, giving fans plenty of time to speculate about the series remaining episodes. Still, while Percy Jackson fans wait, Riordan is certain to be offering more updates about the show's progress.
Source: Rick Riordan