Everything To Know About The Percy Jackson Disney+ Series

It’s been nearly 10 years since the second (and last) Percy Jackson movie hit theaters, and if you felt underwhelmed by the mythological fantasy series’ on-screen adaptation, you’re not alone. Even author Rick Riordan has been vocal about his distaste for the failed film franchise. “Once I saw the final script and saw what they were doing on the set, I realized I had to step away for my own peace of mind,” he wrote in a 2018 blog post. “I never saw either of the movies in their final form.”

But alas, Percy and his friends will live again. Announced on Jan. 25, Percy Jackson and the Olympians is officially a go at Disney+ — and it’s shaping up to be a significant departure from the films you already know. Ahead, here’s everything you should know about the Percy Jackson and the Olympians TV show so far.

Percy Jackson Series Plot

The plot details for Percy Jackson already confirm a major difference between the series and its cinematic predecessors. In keeping with the books, the hero is 12 years old this time around. (In the 2010 film, a teenage Logan Lerman played the titular demigod.) As Disney+ puts it:

“Geared towards a general audience and especially tweens, teens, and young adults, the live action series tells the fantastical story of a 12-year-old modern demigod, Percy Jackson, who's just coming to terms with his newfound supernatural powers when the sky god Zeus accuses him of stealing his master lightning bolt. Now Percy must trek across America to find it and restore order to Olympus.”

Riordan himself made the announcement in a YouTube video, suggesting he’ll play a more active role in the behind-the-scenes process (indeed, he will — but more on that later). The author famously hated the film adaptations of the early 2010s, likening them to his “life’s work going through a meat grinder” and said he “pleaded with [the studios] not to do it” on Twitter. Those tweets have been deleted, but Variety preserved the drama.

Percy Jackson Series Cast

The streamer confirmed that casting was underway for the Percy Jackson series, and on April 11, Percy was announced. As Variety reported, Walker Scobell (The Adam Project) will play the titular hero. Riordan wrote in a blog post that Scobell is a Percy Jackson “super-fan” and “knows his stuff” already.

“He is going to surpass your highest expectations from the very first line of the show,” the novelist said.

Leah Sava Jeffries and Aryan Simhadri will play Annabeth and Grover, respectively, per Variety, while Dior Goodjohn will play Clarisse (Ares’ daughter), and Charlie Bushnell will play Luke (Hermes’ son).

This summer, the outlet also reported five of the adult characters had been cast — and the lineup includes some familiar faces. Megan Mullally will play Alecto, or Mrs. Dodds; Jason Mantzoukas will play Dionysus, or Mr. D; Virginia Kull will play Percy’s mom, Sally Jackson; Glynn Turman will play Chiron, or Mr. Brunner; and Timm Sharp will play Percy’s stepfather, Gabe Ugliano.

Wondering whether or not the former cast will be involved? For Lerman’s part, he hasn’t ruled out the possibility. “I’d be curious to see how it comes along,” he told Access in 2020. “If there’s a good role for me ... and I’m right for it, of course I’d consider it. Yeah, it’d be awesome.”

In the meantime, the behind-the-scenes team is assembling, too. Riordan himself will co-write the pilot with Jon Steinberg and serve as one of the show’s executive producers. So for fans of the fantasy novels, it looks like the series is in good hands.

Percy Jackson Series Trailer

At the D23 Expo in September, Disney+ dropped a teaser trailer for Percy Jackson and the Olympians — featuring the first look at Camp Half-Blood, and an ominous message from the titular demigod. “Once you know what you are, they’ll sense it too. And they’ll come for you,” he says. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Percy Jackson Series Release Date Prediction

The teaser simply says “streaming soon,” but Variety reports that the series will likely premiere in 2023.

This post will be updated with the trailer, release date, and additional plot details as more information on the Percy Jackson Disney+ series becomes available.