The early-to-mid 2000s were a golden age for movie adaptations of young adult fantasy series. When news broke that Harry Potter director Chris Columbus was adapting Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians book series, it appeared another YA hit was on the way. However, the film franchise never took off and ended after just two movies. Thirteen years later, Percy Jackson has found a new life as a Disney+ series.
Riordan’s Percy Jackson and The Olympians series places ancient Greek mythology in the modern-day U.S. The seven-book series follows the Son of Poseidon and his friends on their quest to save the world from the Titans. 20th Century Fox’s Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief had a lukewarm performance, earning 48% on Rotten Tomatoes and grossing $226 million worldwide. The franchise still had enough momentum to eke out a 2013 follow-up. However, the poorly rated Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters effectively killed the franchise.
That is, until Disney+ revitalized Percy Jackson as a TV show in 2023. Co-directed by Riordan, The Percy Jackson & The Olympians series was an immediate hit and has resurrected the franchise.
What Went Wrong With Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters & Why It Didn’t Get A Follow-Up
The Percy Jackson & The Olympians film adaptations were built on a rocky foundation. 20th Century Fox made major changes while adapting the first book, and Riordan expressed critical concerns from the onset. The author sent several scathing emails to production during the development of The Lightning Thief before distancing himself entirely (Via IndieWire).
“The script as a whole is terrible,” Riordan wrote in a March 2009 email to Percy Jackson producers. “I don’t simply mean that it deviates from the book, though certainly it does that to point of being almost unrecognizable as the same story. Fans of the books will be angry and disappointed. They will leave the theater in droves and generate horrible word of mouth. That is an absolute given if the script goes forward as it stands now. But the bigger problem is that even if you pretend the book doesn’t exist, this script doesn’t work as a story in its own right.”
The Lightning Thief was a modest success despite major pitfalls, but the second adaptation of the seven-book series would be the last. Diary of a Wimpy Kid director Thor Freudenthal helmed Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013) after Columbus’ exit. While entertaining enough for a one-off kids’ movie, the sequel could not maintain a franchise.
The script was weak and further betrayed its source material. The CGI-heavy effects were clunky, which audiences were less willing to forgive following CG spectacles such as Avatar (2009). Age also doomed the franchise. Despite Riordan’s warnings, production changed Percy Jackson from 12 to 16, the age he was meant to be by the story’s conclusion. This, along with the cast’s own rapid growth, made additional films seemingly impossible.
The 2013 film was not a total box office bomb but brought in less than the first installment, grossing $199.8 million worldwide. Reviews for Sea of Monsters were scathing and echoed the concerns Riordan voiced back in 2009. The ill-fated sequel received a dismal 43% on Rotten Tomatoes. This flop was the end of the floundering film franchise.
Percy Jackson Works So Much Better On Disney+
Taking matters into his own hands, Riordan teamed up with showrunner Jonathan E. Steinberg to create a Percy Jackson & The Olympians TV series in 2023. The Disney+ series has soared in popularity and acclaim, achieving what the films never could.
Riordan’s direct involvement in the series ensures the source material is protected, making it the most accurate adaptation by far. The episodic myth is also best suited to a TV format, as chunks of the story don’t need to be lopped off in service of a theatrical runtime. The series circumvents the age concern, in part, thanks to a shorter production time than the films. Jackson was 12 when the series started and is growing alongside the actor and audience. Finally, the show has smartly avoided the distracting CGI of The Sea of Monsters movie, opting for practical effects when possible.
The popular show has received largely glowing reviews, with a stellar 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and a solid 7/10 from Screen Rant. After two successful seasons, Percy Jackson & The Olympians is on to a momentous season three. This means Percy Jackson and the Olympians will be passing where the movie adaptations ended. Riordan has expressed excited disbelief at this milestone. “I didn’t think we would ever get to this point,” the author and director told TV Insider.