Percy Jackson Series Producers Already Have Their Eyes On Sea Of Monsters For Season 2
Do second-chance adaptations have a better shot at doing justice to the source material? The film versions of Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson & the Olympians" book series received mixed reactions, and for good reason — their narratives failed to capture the nuances of Riordan's beloved novels and deviated heavily from the established canon. However, the small-screen adaptation of the book series, also titled "Percy Jackson & the Olympians," recently debuted its first two episodes on Disney+ to positive reviews. As Riordan himself is actively involved with the project, this adaptation is more faithful to its source material than its movie counterparts and reflects the ethos of Riordan's fantasy world in authentic ways.
While a second season of the show has not been officially greenlit at the time of writing (as a renewal hinges on how the first installment performs), the show's executive producer, Jon Steinberg, has confirmed the show's creatives are tentatively looking ahead to season 2's storyline (via Deadline). The plan to expand the show's world beyond the first season is still in the discussion phase, but talks of adapting "The Sea of Monsters" — the second book in Riordan's novel series — have already begun.
Executive producer Becky Riordan told Deadline that a rough outline for season 2's "bible" is already being formulated while stating how much she loves "The Sea of Monsters":
"'Sea of Monsters' is one of my favorites. I really love that we're going to have more time with Grover, so I'm hoping that happens. It will be fabulous because Aryan [Simhadri, who plays Percy's friend, Grover] is [an] amazing actor."
While we're waiting to find out if "Percy Jackson" gets a second season at all, let's pause and take a look at what makes "The Sea of Monsters" so special.
A compelling Percy Jackson sequel
Riordan's first entry in the series, "The Lightning Thief," appropriately sets the stage for Percy as a teenager suddenly thrust towards immense power and responsibility, as well as his exposure to a hidden world rife with danger and potential. His time at Camp Half-Blood helps him train his abilities to an extent while forging new friendships allows him to accomplish several quests that would have been impossible to tackle alone. "The Sea of Monsters" firmly roots Percy as the perfect fantasy protagonist — he is brave and sassy, yet flawed in the best of ways, while also being burdened by a chilling prophecy set to change the course of his destiny.
While Riordan's writing has been consistently compelling throughout the series, "The Sea of Monsters" legitimized the fictional world's appeal to its audiences, as it deftly meshed Greek mythology with modern-world shenanigans. Moreover, we get to see more of the characters already introduced in the first book, even as interpersonal relationships are allowed to flesh out in genuine, interesting ways that tie into the narrative down the line. While "The Sea of Monsters" was previously adapted into a film, the movie version sacrifices a significant chunk of the canon in favor of dramatics — a problem that can be remedied in an eight-part second season, should the series indeed be renewed for one.
New episodes of "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" season 1 will premiere Tuesdays on Disney+.