Rick Riordan, creator of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, expresses confidence in his team's approach to adapting the books for Disney+ season 2. He trusts the writers to honor the source material while making necessary adjustments for television. The series has already received strong fan support for staying close to the novels.
Rick Riordan, the author behind Percy Jackson and the Olympians and an executive producer on the Disney+ series, recently shared his thoughts on potential changes for season 2. Speaking to The Radio Times, he indicated little concern over fan reactions to deviations from the books.
The franchise has a history of adaptations that sparked debate. The 2010 film "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" and its 2013 sequel "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters" drew criticism for altering key elements from Riordan's novels. A notable example was casting 17-year-old Logan Lerman as the 12-year-old protagonist Percy Jackson in the first movie. Those films received mixed reviews from critics and audiences, with the second one's box office performance failing to justify a third installment.
In contrast, the Disney+ series, which premiered in 2023, has adhered more closely to the source material. Walker Scobell, aged 14 at the time of filming, portrays Percy, aligning better with the character's book age. Riordan noted the positive reception so far: "I think we were fairly confident that most of the tweaks that we had done [for the series] would be well received."
He emphasized the team's shared respect for the books' legacy and fan expectations. "Everyone on the team is very mindful of the legacy of the books and the audience and what they're expecting," Riordan said. "So, while I don't think we feel imprisoned by that, I do think we all feel a sense of obligation toward the material. Everyone's coming at it from the same point of view, which is really lovely. I mean, any time you translate from one media to another, you have to make changes."
The series has broken viewership records on Disney+, underscoring its success and building anticipation for season 2.
