The author wrote about the “Herculean” effort necessary to bring the reboot project to fruition…
Author Rick Riordan calls the effort “Herculean.” Hopefully, after this week’s task, the Percy Jackson author isn’t invoking the name “Sisyphus.”
Of course, Riordan, an award-winning author, remains on the Disney radar (and news feed). And, although fits-and-starts may characterize that inclusion, this upcoming week presents a critical juncture in his drive to reboot Percy Jackson on screen.
Why So Long?
Yesterday, on his personal site, Riordan wrote:
Keep us in your thoughts this coming week, as we have an important meeting with top execs at Disney Studios (a tier of folks we’ve actually never talked to directly before). We will need to make our best case — one more time, with feeling! — for what this adaptation should be, why it is important, and why it is a win for all those involved.
You would think that a new Percy Jackson project — as beloved as the book series (and previous two movies) are — would be a no-brainer.
You’d think.
It’s Not a Lock
Riordan, a former teacher, explained why it’s not a lock:
- Disney is a huge company with “many moving parts.”
- Many of the people with whom they’ve met previously have moved around (or along).
- Sometimes one hand of The Mouse doesn’t know what the other is doing.
A Clear Plan
For example, Riordan described a situation where one exec asked him who publishes his Percy Jackson books.
Riordan, clearly non-plussed, answered, “Disney.”
And while Riordan admits that he and his wife Becky are not Hercules, they are “still trying, still hopeful.”
Riordan added:
We have a clear plan, a solid approach, and we are ready to get going. However, we are still waiting for the green light, without which we do not have a budget to get going. The conditions for that green light are a moving target, and there are still many layers and levels of approval we have to get through.
Finally, some takeaways (or reassurances) from Riordan.
- They have a “writer’s room.”
- They have experienced producers.
- Riordan and crew are close to landing a “great director.”
- Of course, they have the source material/the original author.
And, hopefully, “Hercules” completes this latest “labour” later this week.
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