Since the turn of the century, the Young Adult novel genre has grown significantly in popularity. Popular book series were rewarded with devoted fanbases that went above and above to uphold the brand. These fandoms dominated social media and the internet, sharing their passion for particular shows with millions of people across the world. Percy Jackson and the Olympians is one series that has a steadfastly devoted following. Author Rick Riordan was first inspired to write Percy Jackson after his kids asked him to build his narrative on Greek myths. The idea for his father to expand on well-known Greek mythology by fusing his own imagination with the trite stories was initially put forth by his son Haley. Riordan then turned his spoken narrative into a book, producing Percy Jackson and the Olympians as a result. Children in the middle school age range who Riordan shared his works with helped choose the title of the series and figure out the workings of the pen-sword that the main character wields. Since its release in 2005, Percy Jackson and the Olympians has continued to enchant and amaze readers.
In 2010, the bestselling book Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief was made into a movie, which was then followed by Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters. The two live-action films put an end to the period of film adaptations of Rick Riordan’s initial novel series, and the negative reception from both fans and media critics damaged the Percy Jackson movie franchise as a whole. Despite this, Riordan carried on with the publication of his pilot series’ sequels and spin-offs, which explored well-known myths via an eclectic and distinctive cast of characters. Disney revealed earlier this year that Percy Jackson and the Olympians would be made into a series, giving Riordan’s books new life. Walker Scobell of The Adam Project will play the title character in the eight-episode drama. Here’s a look at why Sea of Monsters marked the end of the Percy Jackson movie series as the Riordan Renaissance approaches.
How Many Percy Jackson Movies Are There?
Before the Percy Jackson saga was completely abandoned, just two movies were approved, made, and released. The first book in the series, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, was in charge of delivering the books’ substance to a new readership and appeasing an established fan base that was ready for the books to be properly honoured through the movie adaptation. The first movie, which had a fragmented recounting of the pilot novel, debuted in 2010, which was a remarkably good time for the lacklustre adaptation. 20th Century Fox first acquired the distribution rights to Percy Jackson & the Olympians with the idea of signing a five-picture agreement.
As Camp Half-Blood begins to be preyed upon by mythological creatures, the second movie in the series moved past the initial stages of the first and prepared to plunge the burgeoning film series into even deeper conflict. The Golden Fleece must be found in the Bermuda Triangle, the namesake Sea of Monsters, so Percy and his comrades are despatched on yet another challenging mission. The Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters page-to-screen adaptation was ultimately a halting point for 20th Century Fox, despite the missions that Percy and his mythological allies found themselves on seemed like a magnificent epic adventure movie.
Why The Movie Franchise Ended with Sea of Monsters
Percy Jackson & the Olympians fell short of revenue projections and underperformed at the box office from a financial standpoint. While Sea of Monsters debuted with $200 million, The Lightning Thief was more successful, earning $226 million at the box office. The abuse of the source material, characters, and interpretation of the plot that was known to engage its audience by 20th Century Fox drew much criticism. Riordan declined to watch the films despite having a negligible hand in their creation. According to IndieWire, he was outspoken against the artistic choices that distorted his source material and posted emails from his correspondence with producers on his personal website to express his concerns. When the author of Sea of Monsters insisted that only a year had elapsed between The Lightning Thief and it, Riordan openly expressed his displeasure at the age gap.
It was clear that Riordan had no interest in the live-action Percy Jackson and the Olympians movies. The horribly mishandled adaptations failed to impress both fans and critics. Percy Jackson & the Olympians was doomed from the start due to the studio and author’s lack of creative control over the series’ timeline. Any desire to watch the tale play out on the big screen was dashed by the series’ drastic, if not startling, approach. Percy Jackson & the Olympians has struck a chord with its audience on a deeply emotional level and was written with the sole goal of being personal. The franchise was destroyed by the production company’s complete ignorance and decision to exclude the series’ core from its feature.
