The Percy Jackson series is about to get a whole lot more popular after Disney has confirmed that a TV show based upon the popular books has been greenlit for the Disney+ streaming service. It's huge news for fans of Rick Riordan's work, with the writer returning to this fictional world in order to help produce the project.
For those who want to jump into the world of Greek Demi-Gods and monsters, there's a lot to know. It may seem daunting to new readers, considering there's so much content to get through and the pre-existing movies confuse matters further. These tips should streamline the process for audiences though, in order to help them dive into this fantastical series for the first time.
Greek Mythology
Casual fans will know that the Percy Jackson books are inspired by Ancient Greek mythology. They don't attempt to rewrite what has already been established though and instead add to that lore in a unique way. Rick Riordan is clearly masterfully knowledgeable in all the classic tales.
The books reference these myths plenty of times and partially rely on them to create the narrative. But they also develop them further, modernizing elements and allowing for a unique set of twists and turns. Ultimately, new readers don't need to know anything about Greek mythology, but the experience would be enriched with prior information.
The Five Main Books
There are five core books within the Percy Jackson series. These initial installments work as a singular story and although there are standalone narratives within them, they are far better when read all together. The series continues to escalate with each passing release, hitting its climactic crescendo with a major battle in the final of the 5.
It's these five books that look to be the starting point for the TV show. There are plenty of intriguing character arcs that the Disney+ series has to include in order to capture the spirit of the source material, but for those who want to get a basic understanding of the franchise, they need to read from The Lightning Thief onwards.
Follow-Up Series
Percy Jackson And The Olympians aren't the only corners of Greek mythology explored in Rick Riordan's works though. Indeed, although Percy's initial adventure might have finished with the last of the 5 books, there are so many more stories to explore in the follow-up series.
The next place to visit is the Heroes Of Olympus novels, which act as direct sequels but also introduce a range of brand new characters. The core locations are the same but there's a new threat and the involvement of Roman mythology as well! It's unclear whether Disney will move onto these books after completing the originals.
Standalone Tales And Guides
It can be pretty confusing, considering there are so many other works of fiction with the Percy Jackson name on. There are a number of short stories that are not crucial to the overall narrative but provide a fun alternative look at the Demi-Gods and the monsters they fight.
Examples like Percy Jackson And The Singer Of Apollo can often be found online and are easily available as an ebook. There are also extra materials such as The Demi-God files, which are fantastic to read alongside the main series as it provides audiences with additional information which may add to the overall experience.
Expanded Universe
While fans are surely excited to see plenty of Greek Gods adapted to screen, the Percy Jackson novels have inspired a whole world of modern mythology, which Rick Riordan has continued to curate and bring to fans. There are a number of other book series set within the same universe but focusing on other pantheons.
The Kane Chronicles are a great example of this, as the series follows a group of young magicians who hail from Ancient Egyptian mythology. Norse and Chinese deities are amongst some of the other cultures that have been covered in spin-off releases. The Disney+ show might hint at this expanded brand to capitalize on in the future.
Gods, Monsters, And Demi-Gods
If it wasn't already apparent, the prime characters within this series are Gods, Demi-Gods, and monsters. It's the latter that the former two have to fight against, inspired by the evil Titans who represent a much older and darker hierarchy.
Percy Jackson and his friends are all Demi-Gods, the children of both deities and mortals who have been gifted with incredible powers. They are joined by an array of magical creatures, from Centaurs to Satyrs; it's certainly an exciting prospect that these will be adapted to screen in some capacity.
Camp-Half Blood
The Demi-Gods who are learning to harness their gifts can be found studying and training at Camp-Half Blood. It's far more than just a Summer Camp with some people staying there all year round as their permanent home. It's very much the Hogwarts of the Percy Jackson universe.
With so many Demi-Gods each set of siblings has their own cabin within the Camp. In the real world fans of the series can actually visit a version of Camp Half-Blood as a fun experience aimed at kids. The TV show will have to bring the location onto Disney+ if it is to accurately adapt the books.
Previous Movies
There have been two previous movies based on the series, neither of which performed critically or commercially quite as well as fans would have hoped for. Although they weren't terrible adaptations, they didn't quite capture what the novels were all about.
New fans will find something to enjoy amongst the two films, but the new Disney+ show will completely disregard these movies, even if they are to include some of the same Percy cast members in different roles. Overall, it might be best to just wait for the latest iteration.
Future Of The Franchise
The series is brighter than ever as installments such as The Trials Of Apollo and The Cursed Carnival And Other Calamities continue to round out this superb shared universe. There are surely going to be more books in the works from Riordan's team and so there's plenty for new fans to get stuck into.
The TV series will really mark the future of the brand moving forward. While it's already an international phenomenon, a successful stint on Disney+ might just push the world of Percy Jackson into the next stages of success. There's no telling what heights it could reach and it's great to get on board now before it completely blows up.
What The Series Is Adapting
The TV show will be starting with the initial book, The Lightning Thief before moving on to follow-up novels. In theory, the first five seasons of the show should cover the five books within the original run of releases. For anyone who wants to read the books before watching the show then there's a clear place to begin that journey.
Ultimately, there may be elements from other books as this world expands though. Moments from the initial book might actually perform better on screen when informed by scenes from subsequent novels. Yet, with Rick Riordan advising on the screenplays, there's no doubt that this will adapt those beloved pages in the best way possible.