‘Percy Jackson’: Rick Riordan Compares the Films to a ‘Meat Grinder’
Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson books are among the most popular fantasy books to be released in a post-Harry Potter world. Fans enjoy the varied cast of characters, humor, and numerous references to classical mythology.
The Percy Jackson movies are another matter. Many fans feel they didn’t live up to the books. Riordan himself seems to agree with the film’s detractors on some level, although he has never seen the films.
The ‘Percy Jackson’ series so far
The Percy Jackson books have received acclaim from fans and critics for their numerous interesting characters, action-packed storylines, and irreverent jokes. Certain critics feel the series is too derivative of J.K. Rowling’s popular Harry Potter franchise and Disney’s Hercules. Many fans, however, feel Riordan’s novels have surpassed both of those earlier franchises.
Like most other popular book series of the 21st century, the Percy Jackson books made the jump to the silver screen. A pair of movies based on the series were released: Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters.
What Rick Riordan had to say about the movies
Some authors watch the film adaptations of their books and offer critiques of them. Bret Easton Ellis is a prominent example of that sort of author. Riordan, on the other hand, doesn’t have any desire to see the two films based on his work. According to Entertainment Weekly, Riordan tweeted “I still have not seen the movies, and don’t plan on ever doing so. I judge them from having read the scripts, because I care most about the story.”
Riordan stressed he took no issue with the actors in the film series — which he referred to as “a mess.” “I certainly have nothing against the very talented actors. Not their fault. I’m just sorry they got dragged into that mess.” A fan responded to Riordan, saying they were glad Riordan disliked the movies as much as some of his fans did.
Riordan responded to the fan, saying “well, to you guys, it’s a couple hours’ entertainment. To me, it’s my life’s work going through a meat grinder when I pleaded with them not to do it…But it’s fine…We’re gonna fix it soon.”
How Rick Riordan plans to ‘fix it’
What did Riordan mean when he said “We’re gonna fix it soon?” Riordan didn’t elaborate on his words, but it appeared he was referring to the upcoming Disney series based on the Percy Jackson books. According to Deadline, Riordan told fans he would be heavily involved with the creation of that series, as would his wife, Becky. Some fans hope this will lead to the television series being better than the film series.
Will the upcoming Disney series live up to fan expectations? Who knows. At the very least, Riordan seems hopeful.
