The Percy Jackson saga of novels is coming back to the screen, but not in the form of a sequel to the film franchise that ended after just two movies. The books are being adapted into a Disney+ series that has gotten the seal of approval from author Rick Riordan. Walker Scobell will play the title character in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and now Logan Lerman – who played Percy in the movies – has weighed in with his thoughts.
Lerman is returning to the big screen yet again for a role in Bullet Train along with a stacked cast including Brad Pitt, but many still remember him for bringing Percy Jackson to life on the big screen. Speaking with THR about the series and fans’ excitement about the new adaptation, the actor who previously played the demigod said:
I'm excited, too. I'm really excited. I'm curious to see it. I think everything I've seen so far — like, peripherally, just about casting and how they're doing it, and that Rick is running it — just makes me happy. It makes me happy for the fans, and I'm excited for this new generation to watch it.
Although Logan Lerman was clear that he doesn’t have any inside information to share about the new show, fans can be happy to see that he’s excited for a new generation. His mention of Rick Riordan running it is especially interesting, since the author hasn’t held back about his feelings concerning the films.
He hasn't even seen the two films (with Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief releasing in 2010 and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters releasing in 2013) before the film franchise ended early, but “judged them from reading the scripts." Riordan did say that he had “nothing against the very talented actors” and was “just sorry they got dragged into that mess,” because to him, the films were his “life’s work going through a meat grinder” when he “pleaded with them not to do it.” Ouch!
Riodan is actively involved with the production of the Disney+ series, as he is both credited as an executive producer and actually made the announcement himself that the show is happening. That’s not to say that the film actors have been forgotten. After backlash to the casting of Leah Jeffries in the role of Annabeth, Alexandra Daddario (who played the character in the films) chimed in.
Logan Lerman went on in his interview to share whether he would appear in the show as a different character, or make a cameo:
I mean, it's an interesting question because, because could you? Sure, but I'm not. It really just depends on certain factors, like a number of things. But most importantly, the quality of the script and the role. But they haven’t talked to me. They don't want me in it, I don't think. I would have probably heard something by now. Either way, who cares? It's awesome that they're making it. I'm excited to see them do it.
So, any who watched the films and have more positive feelings about them than Rick Riordan are out of luck if they were hoping to see Logan Lerman appear in Disney+’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It sounds like any connections between the movies and the show will be minimal aside from the basics of the premise. The new production will follow Riodan’s books more closely and start Percy’s story when he is 12-years-old and finds himself facing a fantastical trek across the United States, with the help of his friends.
Logan Lerman’s version of the character was already a teenager, which was one of the decisions panned by Rick Riordan. It’s good to see that the actor is enthusiastic about the new project, even with some of the reception to when he played the role and the fact that he’s not involved.
The upcoming series was confirmed back in January 2022, but no release date has been announced at the time of writing. If you want to revisit the films starring Logan Lerman, you can find Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief streaming with a Disney+ subscription and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters with an HBO Max subscription now.
