Rick Riordan Backs Percy Jackson Season 2’s Bold Sea of Monsters Shake-Up
No one’s happier than Rick Riordan as Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 lands — the world he first spun for his son is thriving on screen, and he’s fully backing the series’ take on his stories.
Rick Riordan is visibly thrilled with how Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 is rolling out. And honestly, it makes sense: this is his world getting a proper second pass on a much bigger stage.
Riordan finally gets the do-over he wanted
While visiting Spain, Riordan told Mundo America that coming back to a story he wrote years ago feels like getting another shot at it. He likes being able to rethink character choices and refine how the story is told, while still keeping it faithful to the books. What really excites him this time is perspective: his second novel, Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters, is told strictly through Percy on the page, but the show lets other characters breathe in a way the book couldn’t. He’s into that added dimension, not less.
The movies still sting, but the show is the fix
Back when the Disney+ series was just getting started in 2020, Riordan didn’t hold back about the 2010 film adaptations led by Logan Lerman (with Alexandra Daddario among the cast). Fans of the novels weren’t happy with the movies; neither was he. He’s even said he never actually watched them, choosing to judge from the scripts because protecting the story mattered most to him. The Disney+ series, on the other hand, feels like redemption and is clearly landing better with book readers.
"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. So yeah. But it’s fine. All fine. We’re gonna fix it soon."
That was Riordan’s message to fans on social media at the time (picked up by outlets like Vulture). And now, with Season 2 underway, he seems pretty content with the fix.
Why Percy struggles in school (and why that matters)
Riordan built Percy Jackson during a rough patch with his own son, who was going through rounds of testing for learning differences and ADHD. His son is now a guide and advocate for kids dealing with ADHD, which tracks with how Percy experiences the world in the books. That’s not random flavor text; it’s the backbone of the character and a big reason Percy’s school life is such a mess.
Season 2 rollout: what’s out and what’s next
Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 premiered on Disney+ on December 10, 2025 with a two-episode drop. Three episodes are out so far, and Episode 4 lands December 24. Here’s the full release plan and titles:
- Season 2 Episode 1 - I Play Dodgeball with Cannibals - December 10, 2025
- Season 2 Episode 2 - Demon Pigeons Attack - December 10, 2025
- Season 2 Episode 3 - We Board the Princess Andromeda - December 17, 2025
- Season 2 Episode 4 - Clarisse Blows Up Everything - December 24, 2025
- Season 2 Episode 5 - We Check In to CC's Spa & Resort - December 31, 2025
- Season 2 Episode 6 - Nobody Gets the Fleece - January 7, 2026
- Season 2 Episode 7 - I Go Down with the Ship - January 14, 2026
- Season 2 Episode 8 - The Fleece Works Its Magic Too Well - January 21, 2026
Cast check
The show stars Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries, and Aryan Simhadri, with Charlie Bushnell and Dior Goodjohn also in the mix. So far, this crew feels aligned with the tone of the books in a way the films didn’t.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is streaming on Disney+.