Why ‘Percy Jackson 3’ Never Happened

Hollywood has never been one to shy away from adapting beloved books to the big screen, and despite the unprecedented success of fan-favorite franchises like Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and The Hunger Games, not all reimaginings have received the same adoration and praise. In 2010, Rick Riordan’s best-selling children’s novel The Lightning Thief was brought to cinemas all around the world, with Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief bringing the demigod character to life with Logan Lerman stepping into the titular role.

Fans of the book series were quick to express their massive disappointment in the panned adaptation, which largely deviated from the source material and left audiences hoping for a better, more faithful version despite its solid box office earnings. Three years later, the sequel Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters debuted, ultimately attracting the same ire from moviegoers and critics and effectively putting an end to talk of a third film installment. Let’s explore why the sequel was canceled and how it instead led to the creation of the acclaimed TV series Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

A Hated Big Screen Adaptation of the Popular Fantasy Novels

Based on Rick Riordan’s best-selling children’s novel, the 2010 fantasy film Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief stars Logan Lerman as the titular troubled teenager. Percy makes the wondrous discovery that he is the son of the mighty Greek god Poseidon and possesses demigod powers, which he must use to prevent a brutal battle from unfolding after Zeus’ lightning bolt is shockingly stolen. With the help of his best friend and loyal protector Grover Underwood (Brandon T. Jackson) and feisty fellow demigod Annabeth Chase (Alexandra Daddario), Percy embarks upon a life-altering mission to keep law-and-order in his world.

Featuring the additional talents of famous faces like Uma Thurman, Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, and Steve Coogan, The Lightning Thief chronicles Percy and his friends’ noble efforts to prevent an all-out war from raging on amongst the gods, which would trickle down into Earth and cause devastating chaos. Percy also must contend with the God of the Underworld himself, Hades, who has kidnapped his mother (Catherine Keener) to use her as a ransom in order to obtain the highly-coveted lightning bolt.

The ‘Percy Jackson’ Films Fail to Impress Audiences

Famed filmmaker Chris Columbus directed the ambitious adaptation, who memorably helmed beloved hits like Home Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. However, despite his seasoned resume, he was unable to help Riordan’s popular novel translate successfully to the big screen. Though it went on to gross over $226.4 million throughout its theatrical run, neither critics nor fans of the original book series were thrilled with the final result, with many disappointed with how much it deviated from the source material and failed to capture the heart of the spellbinding novels.

Riordan himself criticized Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and even warned the studio that all the changes made would alienate fans of the books, the same ones who they hoped to entice to see the adaptation. The author also spoke out against the poorly-written screenplay, the altering of the main storyline, and the decision to age the characters for the sake of appealing to a teenage demographic, all of which left a sour taste in both Riordan and fans’ mouths. In a scathing email written to producers, Riordan wrote:

“Fans of the books will be angry and disappointed. They will leave the theater in droves and generate horrible word of mouth. That is an absolute given if the script goes forward as it stands now. But the bigger problem is that even if you pretend the book doesn’t exist, this script doesn’t work as a story in its own right.”

Though The Lightning Thief was largely panned by fans of the fantasy series, its performance at the box office ultimately led to a sequel being greenlit, with Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters debuting just three years later on August 7, 2013. Much like its predecessor, the follow-up experienced similar financial success and grossed $200.9 million, though it was similarly ripped apart by critics for its convoluted plot, uninspiring characters, and the creative liberties the studio and dirctor Thor Freudenthal took when creating the sequel. Sea of Monsters holds just a 42% Rotten Tomatoes score, which ultimately played a role in the third installment being scrapped.

Third Installment Scrapped in Favor of TV Series

After the rights to the Percy Jackson novels were transferred to Disney after its acquisition of 21st Century Fox, Rick Riordan pitched a brand-new adaptation in September 2019, resulting in a series being greenlit in January 2022 with Riordan and his wife Becky being directly involved in the production. Each season of the Disney+ original will adapt one installment of the novels, with Walker Scobell, Aryan Simhadri, and Leah Sava Jeffries respectively being cast as the lead trio Percy, Grover, and Annabeth.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians made its dazzling debut on December 19, 2023, and garnered widespread praise and elation from viewers. Fans appreciated that a Hollywood adaptation finally managed to brilliantly translate Riordan’s words to the screen and commended its sensational cast performances, stunning visuals, and spellbinding world-building. 13.3 million viewers watched the premiere episode within six days and by the seven-week mark the show was streamed for 110 million hours, and critics awarded the series a stellar 91% Rotten Tomatoes score, all of which helped lead to a fast renewal for a second season by the streaming giant.

Stream Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief on Disney+.