When many of us hear the phrase “god,” our first thoughts typically coincide with traditional religions that dominate society such as Christianity and Judaism. Across the Atlantic Ocean however, one country in particular has a unique stance on this concept: ancient Greek mythology is filled with stories that feature an array of different “gods,” each with their own unique domain to oversee. Greek mythology has subsequently become of increasing interest in popular culture, with a myriad of Hollywood projects electing to retell many of the stories present in Greek culture in their own unique way. One movie franchise in particular did this exceptionally well, and now it is set to be turned into a television series as well: Disney+ has announced they have greenlit production on a new series based upon the notorious Percy Jackson franchise, Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
Originally released as a series of novels in the early 2000’s before being adapted into film beginning in 2010, Percy Jackson and the Olympians tell the story of a young boy who finds out he is the descendent of the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon. This would essentially make him royalty and send him on a fantastic adventure that sees the titular character fulfill his true destiny and learn to harness his newfound powers. The Percy Jackson franchise has already seen immense success with hundreds of millions of books sold and box office receipts to match, however it appears the franchise is ready to be rebooted in a new series being produced by Disney+. Percy Jackson & the Olympians was officially picked up by Disney earlier this week and is destined to hit the Disney+ platform when it eventually does come to fruition, with the series reportedly having been in the works for nearly two years now. This was further confirmed by series author Rick Riordan himself in a YouTube video, reposted below, adding that James Bobin is set to direct the upcoming series following his success directing another Disney+ series, The Mysterious Benedict Society. Further details about the project remain up in the air as production commences, but fans should stay on the lookout for further updates about Percy Jackson and the Olympians in the coming weeks.
It isn’t much of a surprise to see Disney take interest in the Percy Jackson franchise given the immense success it has already seen. Now they are hoping to introduce a whole new generation of fans, utilizing their Disney+ platform in the process to bolster the series’ potential success. Eager fans will just have to remain patient as we await further updates from Disney on the production of Percy Jackson and the Olympians as it continues to develop.
