After studios and streamers spent a decade dismantling traditional TV models, the pendulum is starting to swing back to the status quo. A handful of shows have survived their sophomore slumps; where very few used to make it past a second or third season, we’re now enjoying shows with true longevity. More than that, the season renewals are coming more and more frequently, with some projects even managing to drop new seasons consecutively. Thanks to shows like Invincible, Fallout, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the dreaded two-year gap between installments is beginning to close. Some are even getting renewals long before their next season is due to premiere: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, one of Disney’s most-watched shows, was picked up for a third season several months before Season 2 hit Disney+. It’s announcements like these that affirm a studio’s faith in a show — but what happens when that support starts to dry up?
Percy Jackson Season 3 wrapped production before Season 2 had even aired its final episode, and it’ll air on Disney+ just one year after the Season 2 premiere. Disney is clearly excited about the adventures to come — it even attached a short preview for the new season to the Season 2 credits. It seemed like the show had finally found some momentum as it worked to adapt the first five novels in Rick Riordan’s eponymous series. Given that most of the cast is still fairly young, that accelerated timeline made sense. And as we get closer to Season 3’s December release, fans have been expecting a Season 4 renewal any day now. With only six months to go, there’s a sense that production might be falling behind. Why hasn’t Percy Jackson been renewed, and does this spell trouble for the TV show?
