There are still a few months until “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” hits Disney+, but yes, Rick Riordan has seen the final product — and he’s pretty confident his fans will be pleased this time around. According to the books’ author — and producer on the TV series — it should hopefully “be the antidote” for what the movies left behind.
Riordan has long been outspoken on the movie adaptations of his books, which both he and the fans panned for being hugely truncated, unnecessarily aged up, and inaccurate in the story pieces that were adapted. So, going into the TV series, Riordan says he was “very mindful” of what the fans wanted, but it didn’t manifest as a feeling of pressure.
“I don’t know if it’s pressure, so much as I feel a sense of responsibility to the readers,” Riordan told TheWrap at his Chicago tour stop for “Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Chalice of the Gods” on Saturday. “I want to do everything I can to do right by them, and make sure that this is a show that they’re going to feel good about, and feel like they recognize and and love and relate to.”
He continued, “There’s a lot of, I guess, pent-up wish fulfillment about having an adaptation that really sort of reflects the books. And I think — I hope — this series is going to be the antidote for that.”
Riordan noted that he was involved “in every step of the way” on the TV series, from casting, to the writers room, to being on set, and more, which is a sharp contrast to the influence he was allowed on the 2010 and 2013 films. And, having been there every step of the way, he offers nothing but comfort to his readers this time around.
“If you’re a fan of the books, I think you can rest easy,” he said. “I think you’re going to be very pleased. And I think it holds up very well even if you haven’t read the books! I think it’s a really fun series, that the actors are just fantastic.”
“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” premieres on Disney+ on December 20.