Posted in: Disney+, Preview, streaming, TV | Tagged: disney, percy jackson, Percy Jackson & The Olympians, preview, rick riordan, the lightning thief

Percy Jackson Author Rick Riordan: TV Series Searching for Director

As fans eagerly wait for the Percy Jackson franchise to make its way to television for Disney+, author Rick Riordan offered an update on his blog (via Entertainment Weekly). All they're looking for is the creative mind before everything starts coming together. "So where are we?" he wrote. "Well, if I haven't been giving you updates as frequently as you'd like, that's just because there is really nothing new I can announce yet. We continue to work behind the scenes, however, on many fronts at once, and everything is still moving forward. The big piece we are concentrating on now is finding the perfect director to join our team."

The young adult novel series about demigods from Greek mythology made its debut in 2005 and later adapted to feature film by 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios) with its first entry in 2010's Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, which starred Logan Lerman in the title role. This was followed by its sequel Percy Jackson & the Sea of Monsters in 2013. While the sequel made a little less than the original, the franchise combined for $423 million globally at the box office. The films were maligned by Riordan and a significant portion of the fanbase.

While the author announced a TV adaptation in the works for Disney+, the pandemic complicated the process. The four criteria he asks of his director: Are they available? Are they able and willing to work with young actors? Are they someone the folks at Disney can get excited about and feel confident about? Are they someone who knows, loves, and understands the Percy Jackson source material? Finding a director "seems to be the last major hurdle before we can get rolling on the project in earnest," Riordan continued. Already having completed the pilot script, he's optimistic for the series' future. "I cannot stress enough what a huge 'win' that is, and it really did take the better part of 15 months to get there. When this series moves forward (fingers and toes crossed, of course) I am confident it will be the show we've been waiting for. As soon as I know more, I will update you. Until then, stay safe and well, and keep reading!"

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