If you are reading this, then you are a fan of the Percy Jackson book series and have hope that it will be revived soon. We have both good news and bad news for you in that respect. The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan was adapted into a movie and released in 2010.
It led to severe criticism of how the movie was made and how much it deviated from the book. Even though a second part followed, it did not do as well as the first movie. Fox Entertainments eventually pulled the plug from the series altogether for multiple reasons, which we will be reading about in this article.
How the author reacted to this book adaptation is also notable in understanding the developments in Percy Jackson 3. So let us go into further detail about the release date for Percy Jackson and how fans will be able to see their hero back on screen again.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Talk about preteen books, and you will hear about Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It is a five-book series by Rick Riordan. The adaptation of the first book was released in theaters in 2010. It got a little over 300 million dollars, including the domestic and worldwide business. This seems to be enough incentive for the production house to go on with the second book.
After The Lightning Thief, Sea of Monsters came out in 2013. Its business was significantly less than that of the first film and made less than 250 million dollars. Even a novice will see these figures and conclude that the business was not enough for the production house to continue with this series.
Even the first book did not do extremely well in the theaters, which was a surprise for the fans. Even getting a sequel was a big deal, but it did worse than the first part. However, the author of the series is more than happy that this book adaptation series is not going through.
The Books and The Movies
Source: thebookbundle.com
Rick Riordan had a lot to say when he first got news about the details of the book adaptation. Percy and his friends are 12 years old when the action begins in the book series. His first objection to the movie occurred when it was announced that the casting would be for 17-year-olds. He did not want his book series to be adapted into a teen movie because the main audience was kids who had read and loved the books.
He expressed his concern about the content of the film, which was originally supposed to be for kids. The author has since revealed his emails to the producers of the film. He put forth his criticism of the script and how far it had traded from the books. The additional plot points, removal of characters, and inaccurate Greek myths were some of the reasons why he suggested major changes in the original script.
He also predicted that the movie would be a big failure if the makers did not stick to the plot. The production house did not take any action and continued with the project. Unfortunately, the discrepancies between the books and the movies were too great to be ignored by the fans. It was also disappointing for the moviegoers who had not read the books.
Is Percy Jackson 3 Happening?
If Percy Jackson 3 were on the cards, it would have been long since revealed. Fox Entertainments has no plans to revive the series again, especially after seeing the box office performance of both the films. There will also have to be a change in the casting because nearly 10 years have passed since the second movie was released.
It would most likely not be in the best interest of the fans to see continuity in the movie series. So we can say with certainty that Fox is not going forward with Percy Jackson 3. But, the news is not all bad. We did promise you good news. You might not be seeing the same movie characters on the big screen again, but you will be seeing your favorite characters soon enough.
New Adaptation
The biggest point of contention with the previous book adaptation was that the author was not involved in the process. He had volunteered to change the script of the movie when he first read it to no avail. Since then, he must have grown cautious with his book rights. But while it seems that the movie series is done, there is a new adaptation in town.
Disney+ is coming 4th with an entirely new adaptation of the book series, which will be released this year. The announcement was made in 2020, and the excitement of the author was palpable. Rick Riordan is much more involved in this project and is excited to be a part of the script outline.
Given that the entire process will take some time to develop, speculations arose that the series will go on air in 2024. The estimated release date is somewhere in August 2024, so just a few months more until one can see their favorite book adapted in the right way. There is a lot riding on this new adaptation which is why Riordan is not taking any chances and does not want to repeat the same mistakes.
Source: cinema2cinema.com
The Takeaway
You came here for good news, and we hope that the Disney+ adaptation is good enough news for you as a fan of the Percy Jackson book series. While the third installment of the Percy Jackson film series is not happening ever, you can rest assured that the new adaptation will stick closely to the book. It will likely be released by the end of 2024 and will surely be something that you can enjoy with your family. The books have a massive fan base, and this popularity will only grow if the future adaptation is well received.
