With production on its third season having begun on August 8, Percy Jackson and the Olympians marks the first time a live-action Disney+ original series has started filming a Season 3 before releasing Season 2.
The series based on Rick Riordan's novels of the same name is only the third Disney+ original live-action series to even see a Season 3, with the other two being The Mandalorian and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
In both those cases, filming on Season 3 began well after Season 2 released. In The Mandalorian's case, Season 2 premiered in October of 2020, with filming for Season 3 not starting until well into 2022. As for High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Season 2 released in May of 2021, with Season 3 being filmed starting in January 2022.
Meanwhile, Season 3 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians is already in production as of early August 2025, with Season 2 not hitting Disney+ until December 10. It is also worth noting that Season 3 was announced only weeks after production on Season 2 ended, with writing work for the third season having begun even before that.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is also the first live-action Disney+ original series to get a third season that did not premiere with the streaming service. Both The Mandalorian and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series debuted their first seasons with the launch of Disney+ on November 12, 2019.
Season 3 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians will adapt the story of the third Percy Jackson novel, The Titan's Curse. Once again starring Walker Scobell, Aryan Simhadri, and Leah Sava Jeffries, Season 3 will introduce Levi Chrisopulos and Olive Abercrombie as the fan-favorite DiAngelo siblings.
Percy Jackson Season 3's Production Start Bodes Well for Show's Future
Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 3's production beginning four months before the premiere of Season 2 could be an indication that Disney is confident Season 2 will be a success, and maybe even willing to invest more as it continues.
Ahead of the Season 1 premiere, executive producer and source novel writer Rick Riordan had urged fans to prove that Season 2 would be a worthwhile investment by watching Season 1. Season 2 was announced soon after Season 1 ended, and the show was seen as a critical and financial success all around.
As such, even just the announcement of Season 3 being green lit coming before the release of Season 2 proved that Disney did not need to gauge audience reaction before deciding the show would continue.
Still, a green light and the actual start of production are two very different things. Though cancellation after announcement is not likely, it is still far cheaper and less risky to cancel a season before filming for it begins.
Production for Season 3 beginning before the release of Season 2 indicates that Disney is doubling down on its confidence in Season 2's quality (something Riordan has teased himself, too), given that the company is willing to make the financial investment its continuation requires.
Granted, Riordan did say from the start of development on Season 3 that its production had to begin as soon as possible, though was vague on why that is. One possible reason, though, is that Season 2 and Season 3 are only supposed to take place a couple months apart from one another, and the sooner production starts, the more realistic that time difference would look.
With five total books in the original Percy Jackson and the Olympians novel series, fans are hoping to see Seasons 4 and 5 green lit sometime in the future too. This is not off the table, especially with how confident Disney appears to be in Season 2's success.
But, it is technically still up in the air, and Disney will likely not announce them officially for some time — especially since there does not seem to be a similar time constraint like the one on Season 3.
If the series does continue to Season 5, it would be the first live-action Disney+ series to hit that milestone, with High School Musical: The Musical: The Series currently the only one to make it to four seasons total.
Gillian Blum has been a writer at The Direct since 2022, reporting primarily from New York City. Though she covers news from across the entertainment industry, Gillian has a particular focus on Marvel and DC, including comics, movies, and television shows. She also commonly reports on Percy Jackson, Invincible, and other similar franchises.
