Percy Jackson author Rick Riordan talks season 2: "We're very mindful of the legacy of the books"

It’s no secret that when the Percy Jackson films were released in the 2010s, swathes of longtime fans weren’t impressed by how the fantasy novels had been adapted. So it was with some trepidation when Disney announced that they, too, were going to have a go at recreating the mythological Greek world for a new TV series.

Thankfully, this time, fans needn’t have worried.

Starring Walker Scobell in the eponymous lead role alongside Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth and Aryan Simhadri as Grover, the first season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians received warm reviews and in its first week alone, episode 1 notched up over 13 million views. In no small part, its success is undoubtedly due to Rick Riordan – author of the Percy Jackson books who is also credited as a writer and executive producer of the television adaptation. He wasn’t involved in the film franchise.

Indeed, when Radio Times visited the set during filming of season 2 (a third season has subsequently been confirmed), Riordan was on hand to answer our pressing Percy questions.

How does it feel to be filming a second season and to see the world you imagined springing to life?

“Yeah, it's unreal. I can't believe that we're on a second season in some ways, but I know it took us a long time to get here. It's wonderful to see it all come to fruition.”

It's been years since you wrote the initial Percy Jackson story. In now making the TV show, have been things you changed that you felt you can improve on?

“Yeah, it's a beautiful chance to do over… Because it's now been 20 years since the first book came out, which is mind boggling in itself. But it's true.

"I mean, a lot has changed in 20 years, and It's nice to have the chance to keep the story the same, but also refresh it and make sure that it feels relevant and timely for what's going on today. I do think that these stories, the Greek myths, have been with us for centuries because they're timeless.

"So there is that element that doesn't change. But at the same time, we want to make sure that it feels really fresh for viewers today.”

Fans are very protective over Percy Jackson. How trepidatious did you feel ahead of season 1 airing? There were a few plot tweaks – did you worry they wouldn’t be received well by fans?

“Oh, I think we were fairly confident that most of the tweaks that we had done would be well received. We had many, many conversations about that. And I will say this, I think everyone on the team is very mindful of the legacy of the books and the audience and what they're expecting.

"So while I don't think we feel imprisoned by that, I do think that we all feel a sense of obligation and respect toward the material. So everyone's coming at it from the same point of view, which is really lovely. I mean, anytime you translate from one media to another, you have to make changes.”

The film series wasn’t received so well, whereas season 1 of the TV show was. It must be not only a relief, but a vindication that your involvement has really helped bring your story to life…

“Well, I don't want to take too much credit. I mean, I'm part of the team and it really does take a village to make this happen. There's no way that anyone could solo this. It is such a team sport. That's something I've come to appreciate about television.

"So I'm very grateful to all the hundreds of people that bring this to life every day. But yes, you're right. One of the questions I’ve been asked is: ‘Does this feel like a birth or an exorcism?’ It's a good question. A little bit of both, probably…”

You’ve said before that you’d love to make a season for each of the five original books in the series. But there’s also that pressure that the actors are getting older and growing up fast…

“I want to put bricks on Walker’s [Scobell] head! He's getting so tall so quickly. Honestly, that's something else I didn't even consider.

"That how long it takes to make a show of this complication and this calibre with all the effects and everything that's going into it, it takes longer to make a season than it does for these kids to grow up. I naively thought, ‘Oh, yeah, we'll just make one every year’. It's just not possible. But we're doing the best we can…”

Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 2 will return to Disney Plus on 10th December.

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