The previously-announced Percy Jackson spinoff movie trilogy based on The Kane Chronicles has been canceled at Netflix. Percy Jackson is a popular Rick Riordan novel series that follows the life of the titular demigod son of Poseidon. Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief was first adapted into a movie in 2010, though more recently found wider success as a TV show on Disney+, recently earning a season 2 renewal with Riordan’s closer involvement garnering rave reviews.
As per a statement from Riordan on Goodreads, Netflix has canceled development on a movie trilogy of the Percy Jackson spinoff series The Kane Chronicles. According to the author, the trilogy is in “turnaround,” which means that Netflix has “decided not to move forward.” The future of The Kane Chronicles movie adaptations now depends on whether another studio wants to snatch up the titles. Check out Riordan’s statement below:
Why The Kane Chronicles Shutdown Is Probably a Good Thing
Including the books The Red Pyramid, The Throne of Fire, and The Serpent’s Shadow, The Kane Chronicles were a Riordan series set in the same universe as Percy Jackson. The Kane Chronicles were originally announced to get Netflix movie adaptations back in 2020. Since then, the prospective film trilogy has spent time in development hell. As Riordan describes, Netflix was “trying for two years to develop a script they liked.”
In the meantime, Disney+ released a TV adaptation of Percy Jackson & the Olympians. The Percy Jackson TV show was well-reviewed by critics, receiving a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. This came, however, after abysmal movie adaptations of the books The Lightning Thief and Sea of Monsters, which left critics and fans alike highly unsatisfied, both of which failed to crack the 50% mark on Rotten Tomatoes, which still would have landed them Rotten ratings.
While the cancelation of The Kane Chronicles movie trilogy may be disappointing, it is likely for the best for the sanctity of the books.
Because of the bad track record with Riordan movie adaptations, it is probably a good thing that The Kane Chronicles were shut down when they were. If Netflix was struggling that much to settle on a good script, there was probably something fundamentally wrong with how the series was being adapted. If they were to continue, they could have made The Kane Chronicles fall victim to the same fate as did the Percy Jackson movies. So, while the cancelation of The Kane Chronicles movie trilogy may be disappointing, it is likely for the best for the sanctity of the books.
FAQ
Why was the Percy Jackson spinoff trilogy based on The Kane Chronicles canceled at Netflix?
Netflix canceled development on the movie trilogy of The Kane Chronicles spinoff series due to difficulties in settling on a satisfactory script after two years of development.
Is there a chance for The Kane Chronicles adaptations with another studio?
Yes, the future of The Kane Chronicles movie adaptations depends on whether another studio is interested in picking up the titles and assuming the preproduction costs.
What is the significance of the cancelation for The Kane Chronicles in the context of Riordan’s adaptations?
The cancelation of The Kane Chronicles movie trilogy is likely for the best considering the track record of Riordan adaptations, particularly the disappointing Percy Jackson movies. It could prevent The Kane Chronicles from suffering a similar fate.
How does the cancelation of The Kane Chronicles trilogy compare to the success of the Percy Jackson TV series on Disney+?
While the Percy Jackson TV series on Disney+ received positive reviews, the cancelation of The Kane Chronicles trilogy reflects the challenges faced in adapting Riordan’s works for the screen, especially in light of previous unsuccessful film adaptations.
What are the implications of the streaming industry’s development trends on projects like The Kane Chronicles?
The streaming industry’s shrinking development slate may have contributed to the cancelation of The Kane Chronicles movie trilogy, despite the success of other adaptations like Percy Jackson on Disney+.