Popular book series adapted to Disney+ series with original author serving as executive producer
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a fantasy-adventure TV series on Disney+ with Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz serving as co-showrunners. It is based on Rick Riordan’s young adult novel series of the same name, with Riordan serving as the series’ executive producer and the pilot’s co-writer. Together with Steinberg, the duo planned out the entirety of the first season which covers events that occurred in the first novel. This TV series is the second time Riordan’s Percy Jackson series has been adapted, with the initial big screen adaptations lacking his creative involvement. 2010’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters in 2013 received lukewarm reviews and had moderate box office success, despite having a dedicated fan base. James Bobin, Anders Engstrom and Jet Wilkinson join forces to bring the thrilling narratives of the Percy Jackson novels to life. Each director will helm different episodes of the eight-part season. Leveraging the cutting-edge StageCraft technology from Industrial Light & Magic, the series will showcase seamless and intricate visual effects, enhancing the immersive experience for viewers.
Walker Scobell stars in the lead role as Percy Jackson. Joining him are Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth Chase and Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood. The supporting cast consists of Virgina Kull as Sally Jackson, Glynn Turman as Chiron/Mr. Brunner, Jason Mantzoukas as Dionysus/Mr. D, Megan Mullally as Alecto/Ms. Dodds, Timm Sharp as Gabe Ugliano, Dior Goodjohn as Clarisse La Rue, Charlie Bushnell as Luke Castellan and Adam Copeland as Ares. There are a number of notable guest stars that appear in the series as well including Adam Copeland as Ares, Jay Duplass as Hades, Timothy Omundson as Hephaestus, Toby Stephens as Poseidon and Lance Reddick as Zeus in one of his final TV appearances following his sudden death in March 2023.