Most bestselling book series start with a real-life inspiration, and Rick and Becky Riordan’s kids were the jumping-off point for the Percy Jackson novels long before it became a new series coming to Disney+ this month. After they found out their son, Haley, had ADHD and dyslexia at the age of seven, bedtime stories about Greek mythology were his saving grace. One night, Rick Riordan found himself thinking up his own stories about the topic, and by writing a story about a kid with his own learning differences who learns he is a demi-god the Percy Jackson series was born.
Ahead of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians TV show hitting Disney+ next week, CinemaBlend spoke to the Riordans about bringing Percy Jackson’s ADHD and dyslexia to the series since Rick Riordan co-created the adaptation and the couple both serve as producers. Here’s what Rick told us:
