Percy Jackson and the Olympians hasn't been renewed for a second season yet, but its writing team is already hard at work on its scripts.
In a Variety article posted after Percy Jackson's season 1 finale aired on Disney Plus today (January 31), co-showrunner Jon Steinberg dropped a huge hint over the hit fantasy show's future. Indeed, the fate of the Walker Scobell-starring TV show is still up in the air, but Steinberg suggested that a second season was likely to happen, given that its writers' room has re-assembled to outline the direction of a potential sequel.
“There is an awareness on everyone’s part that the demand for the show seems to suggest we should probably not stop making it,” Steinberg said. He later added that he, fellow co-showrunner Dan Shotz, and their fellow scribes were "making great progress" on Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 2, even though Disney hasn't officially greenlit it.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE ARE NO MORE EPISODES THIS YEAR???? WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE SHOW IS OVER??? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO ON TUESDAYS????#PercyJackson#PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians pic.twitter.com/9HZFJYNBMcJanuary 31, 2024
In a separate chat with TV Insider, Scobell – who plays the titular demigod – revealed that he was in the dark over the series' possible renewal, saying: "We really have no idea [if the show has been renewed yet]. Nobody’s telling us anything."
However, he also offered hope to the show's sizable fanbase about a potential second installment, adding: "I hope that we’re out in the sun a lot, so I’m not transparent anymore! I’m guessing since we’re outside a lot, we’re probably going to be more on location. So it’ll be fun to be there and be close to the water, be outside, touch grass."
Cooking up a storm
If Percy Jackson and the Olympians is renewed for another outing, it'll be a remarkable turnaround for the Rick Riordan-created young adult (YA) fantasy franchise.
The author's book series is beloved by many, but there were plenty of people who criticized Percy Jackson's two big-screen adventures in the early 2010s – Riordan among them. Indeed, speaking exclusively to TechRadar ahead of the franchise's live-action Disney Plus adaptation, Riordan admitted that the movies "just didn't resonate" with audiences in a similar manner to its YA fantasy genre cousins Harry Potter or Twilight.
Rather than use the film flops as an excuse to pass on future adaptations, though, Riordan agreed to partner with Disney on a TV adaptation for one of the world's best streaming services. It's a decision that's paid off, too, with Percy Jackson and the Olympians proving incredibly popular.
Per a January 16 Deadline report, its premiere eclipsed 26 million views in its first three weeks on the service, albeit that figure was bolstered by its first two entries simultaneously debuting on Hulu in the US. On January 25, Deadline also revealed the show's first three episodes had accrued a total of 700 million minutes viewed – an increase of 22% from the previous week.
no season 2 announcement at the end #PercyJackson pic.twitter.com/oesvA0bIs1January 31, 2024
As long as Percy Jackson's TV adaptation has continued its upward trajectory with episodes four through eight – we'll find out how many people watched each episode in the weeks to come – Disney would be silly not to confirm a second season.
Of course, much will depend on how cost-effective the series has been, but given that it's been popular enough to become one of the best Disney Plus shows of recent times, its renewal appears to be a mere formality. That's in spite of our spoiler-free thoughts on Percy Jackson's first few episodes – indeed, we said it "wasn't a Greek tragedy, but it's not a god-tier Disney Plus show, either".
Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 1 is available to stream in full on Disney Plus.
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