The Shocking Truth Behind the Cancellation of Percy Jackson 3 (Plus Exciting News of a TV Reboot!)

The Percy Jackson movies brought Rick Riordan's popular children's books to life, but it's intriguing that Disney chose a TV show instead of Percy Jackson 3. The films followed Logan Lerman as Percy, a teenager who learns that he is the son of the Greek god Poseidon. This discovery grants him incredible powers and a place at Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp where young demigods are trained.

While the first two Percy Jackson movies set up the story, they didn't portray Percy's entire journey. The absence of Percy Jackson 3 raised doubts about whether Riordan's series would ever receive a complete adaptation. Thankfully, many years later, Percy Jackson was approved for a television revival on Disney+ after the disappointment of the films.

Percy Jackson 2 Was A Critical & Commercial Disappointment

The failure of Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief as a potential franchise, along with the commercial and critical disaster that was Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, resulted in the demise of any future installments. Despite lukewarm audience scores and the possibility of redemption through improved sequels, Sea of Monsters only reinforced the notion that the adaptations of the Percy Jackson series were fundamentally flawed. The films' underwhelming box office earnings, with The Lightning Thief grossing $226 million globally and Sea of Monsters falling just short of $200 million worldwide, further solidified the decision by 20th Century Fox to abandon the series, especially considering the actors' aging out of their roles, despite the characters being aged up in the movies.

Why Disney's Percy Jackson TV Show Is Happening Now

Percy Jackson 3 did not happen, but the upcoming Disney+ TV show offers a new opportunity for a proper adaptation of Riordan's story. With the author heavily involved as an executive producer, unnecessary changes to the source material are unlikely, especially if they do not align with the story or characters. This will undoubtedly attract passionate fans of the Percy Jackson books who have been awaiting a faithful adaptation.

The appeal of a Percy Jackson show to a studio like Disney is likely due to its popularity and enduring readership. Riordan has continued to publish novels in the same world, keeping the fan base engaged. With the significant increase in TV budgets, a streaming series can finally do justice to the source material. In fact, the Disney+ show has the potential to surpass the Percy Jackson books in ways that the movies could not.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes, Box Office Mojo