Percy Jackson TV show director says the Disney Plus series will differ from the books – but fans won't be disappointed

Percy Jackson and the Olympians director James Bobin has addressed the differences between the Disney Plus show and the beloved book series.

"I think there is a mixture of those things," Bobin told CBR, in response to whether the show will adhere to the books or change for the small screen. "We are very careful, and we love these books for a reason. We love them for what they were, and I remember reading the scripts for the first time, and it said, 'Percy Jackson, bracket 12 [years old]' after his name, and I’m like, 'OK good. That's a good start.'"

The YA book series, written by author Rick Riordan, was previously adapted into two films, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief in 2010, and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters in 2013. Both films starred Logan Lerman as the titular hero.

Continued Bobin: "Because the world from a twelve-year-old's point of view is emotionally complex, and this is a very complicated point. But yes, there will be huge amounts of it that everyone will know. There will be small amounts of it that they will be pleased by because it’s a choice we’ve made to make things a bit different than the book."

The new Disney Plus show follows 12-year-old demigod Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell), who is accused by Zeus of stealing his lightning bolt. Percy is accompanied by his two best friends, Annabeth Chase (Leah Sava Jeffries), the daughter of the goddess Athena, and Grover Underwood (Aryan Simhadri), a satyr posing as a 12-year-old boy.

The cast also includes Virginia Kull, Glynn Turman, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jason Mantzoukas, Megan Mullally, Timm Sharp, Dior Goodjohn, Olivea Morton, Charlie Bushnell, Adam Copeland, Suzanne Cryer, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Timothy Omundsen, Jay Duplass, and the late Lance Reddick in one of his final roles.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians hits Disney Plus on December 20. For more, check out our list of the best new TV shows coming your way in 2023 and beyond.