Percy Jacksonfans emerge from the shadows, as development is currently underway for the Disney+ television show adaptation. AuthorRick Riordanannounced earlier today onhis blog accountand his Twitter account that they are currently casting for their titular hero. While there was a missed opportunity to have a reality competition showdown in a Greco-Roman colosseum style, an open casting call is also the right choice. Based on his bestselling YA fantasy seriesPercy Jackson and the Olympians, Riordan disclosed that his books were gettinganother adaptation by Disney+back in 2020.
Percy Jacksonfollows the 12-year-old demigod of the same name as he discovers that he is the son of Poseidon. Assuming that the first season will follow the first book, Percy undertakes a quest to save his mother from the underworld and prove his innocence when accused of stealing Zeus' lightning bolt. In 2010 and 2013, two films were released starringLogan Lermanas Percy, both of which received mixed reviews from critics, audiences and hard-core book fans. Disney+’s version is a chance to please fans with a more faithful adaptation, and an opportunity to explore Riordan’s world more fully.
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Riordan details the casting process and key details in his blog post, stressing that this indeed is a preliminary search. For the film series, Percy was aged up by the casting of Lerman, who was 18 at the time of its release. Riordan confirmed that they are looking for an actor who can “play 12,” in order to more fully match the book character. He also confirms that they are not looking to cast a specific ethnicity for Percy, and that after this casting decision is made, the team will move on to the other big roles of Annabeth and Grover (originally played byAlexandra DaddarioandBrandon T. Jacksonin the films).
Percy Jacksonis the perfect addition to Disney+’s family-appropriate streaming library and IP hoarding aspirations. They are currently beefing up their content, and just announced astreaming deal with Sony Picturesto license new movies following their release in theaters. Other works currently in development for Disney+ capitalize on their large amount of IP, including theEnchantedsequelDisenchanted(whichjust addedMaya Rudolphto the cast), alive-actionPeter Pan & Wendy,as well as thehighly anticipatedCruellafilmstreaming next month. With any luck and a whole lot of fan engagement, Disney+ will have another vibrant world to draw ideas from withPercy Jackson.
Percy Jacksoncurrently has no release date attached, but we will be sure to share it when it gets announced.
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