Rick Riordan, who is the author of the Percy Jackson book series, has been providing fans updates on his blog regarding the “Percy Jackson & The Olympians” Disney+ series. Last we heard, Riordan had an important meeting with the top executives at Walt Disney Studios and had a very positive conversation. He also added that they still don’t have an official green light for the series, but are working on it.
The author updated his blog on September 19th to say that the writer’s room is working on outlines of the scripts and gave his own estimates of a production timeline, given that the series is officially greenlit. You can read his newest update below:
The latest: The writers’ room for PJOTV is working on outlines and scripts for the first half of the first season, which is what we need to get approved before our official “green light.” The hope is to have those done shortly after the New Year, but that is just my own estimation. It is not an official date. Assuming that happens (and I think it will) things should start to move into full production mode in the spring, including casting, and filming could begin as soon as next summer 2022. Again, this is simply my own best guess right now. You should not take that as the final word!
Even before we get that green light, however, we are forging ahead with the assumption that this show will get made. The writing for the first season, which follows the plot of The Lightning Thief, is sketched out from start to finish and the writers are doing a terrific job putting everything into script format. We meet for two hours almost every day (via Zoom) I am involved in every conversation, every draft. Even though we are basing everything on the novel, there is still a ton of work to do turning this into a TV show. As I’ve shared with you before, it’s like using the Star Trek transporter to break down the story on a molecular level, send it across space, then reassemble it on the surface of an alien planet and hope it looks the same! The team we have in place is so good though, I’m feeling optimistic. We are also moving ahead on numerous fronts for pre-production, like locking in concept artists, VFX producers, line directors, and all those important people who work behind the scenes to make the show a reality.
The writer’s room began back in July when it was announced that Jonathan E. Steinberg, who is also a writer on the series, and Dan Shotz (Black Sails, Jericho) are on board as showrunners.
Additional writers include Daphne Olive, who has worked with Steinberg and Shots on Black Sails, Monica Owusu-Breen (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Alias), and Joe Tracz (A Series of Unfortunate Events). Also part of the mix of assistants are Xavier Stiles (Hemlock Grove), Zoë Neary (Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency), and Stewart Strandberg (The Old Man).
Once the series is greenlit, production and casting will begin soon after.
The Percy Jackson series is set to follow the storyline of the five books starting with The Lightening Thief which centers around a teenager who discovers that he is a descendent of a Greek God. The series will then take on a new book for every season.
A release date has not been announced yet, but Season 1 which will consist of 8 episodes is expected to debut on Disney+ sometime in 2023.
Source: Rick Riordan Blog