Disney's Epic Percy Jackson TV Series: A Magical Rival to Harry Potter!

With the upcoming release of both Percy Jackson And The Olympians and a Harry Potter TV show, a unique opportunity arises for the half-blood to potentially surpass the boy wizard. In the late 1990s to mid-2000s, the adventures of Percy Jackson and Harry Potter were often seen as two sides of the same coin, featuring trios of young heroes battling monsters and villains in secret mythological worlds. Both series garnered immense popularity, but Harry Potter has consistently overshadowed Percy Jackson, especially in terms of their expanded media franchises. However, this dynamic may soon change.

Both the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson book series were developed and released during the late 90s and early-to-mid-2000s. Harry Potter was published first in 1997, followed by Percy Jackson in 2005. Both series achieved great success in the middle-grade literature genre, spawning movies, spin-off books, guides, video games, and stage shows. Despite being released around the same time, Percy Jackson has always lived in the shadow of Harry Potter's worldwide appeal, particularly when it comes to the success of the boy wizard's films. However, the tables may turn as Disney announced its plans to create a Percy Jackson TV show, and HBO Max revealed their own Harry Potter show.

Percy Jackson Releasing Before Harry Potter Gives It A Huge Advantage

When the books were originally released, Harry Potter media overshadowed that of Percy Jackson. However, almost 18 years later, the tables have turned. Despite both book series being adapted into TV shows, this time, the Percy Jackson series will have the advantage of being released first. Furthermore, the entire production timeline for Percy Jackson is ahead of Harry Potter's. The series was announced in 2020, greenlit in January 2022, began production in June 2022, and is set to premiere on Disney+ in 2024. On the other hand, the Harry Potter series was reported to be in early development in January 2021 and was confirmed to be in production in April 2023.

The fact that Percy Jackson has a strong and confirmed production schedule, with an earlier release date compared to Harry Potter, gives the series a significant advantage. After years of being overshadowed by Harry Potter in terms of marketing and widespread fame, Percy Jackson will finally have a chance to garner more publicity and interest without directly competing against the boy wizard. Additionally, the earlier release date will allow the show more time to establish itself and potentially even be renewed before the HBO Max adaptation of Harry Potter is released.

Disney's Percy Jackson TV Show Is Way More Exciting Than HBO's Harry Potter

Percy Jackson's show comes with an earlier release date and already generates more excitement compared to the Harry Potter announcement. There are several reasons for this, with some rooted in the demigod series' previous attempts at filmmaking and others stemming from the current state of the Harry Potter franchise. Although the initial Percy Jackson films, "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" and "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters," were generally well-received by critics, they failed to resonate with fans. Consequently, as the film series did not progress beyond halfway through its source material, the new Percy Jackson show represents an exhilarating fresh start, providing an opportunity to portray Camp Half-Blood effectively on the small screen.

Furthermore, the Harry Potter franchise does not require another installment. In contrast to Percy Jackson, the Harry Potter franchise successfully adapted all seven books, even including an additional film split from the final book. With a multitude of theme parks, a sequel play, and prequel films, the Harry Potter franchise has essentially never concluded, despite a diminishing quality in the various productions. Consequently, there seems to be no necessity to adapt the original books again. In comparison, Percy Jackson never had the chance to complete its series on the big screen, and author Rick Riordan continued to create entertaining series that expanded upon his world without being overly fixated on the original premise.

18 Years Later, Percy Jackson Can Finally Outdo Harry Potter

Although Percy Jackson may never reach the same level of success as Harry Potter, the TV show has a strong chance of being better received than HBO Max's product. This is partly due to the reasons mentioned earlier, such as the thrilling conclusion of the series. Additionally, the Percy Jackson TV show is likely to avoid the controversy surrounding the release of the Harry Potter show, which will ultimately make it a more enjoyable and positive experience. As a result, the demigod has the potential to surpass the boy wizard.