Percy Jackson Star Proposes Splitting Season 5 Into Two Parts

A Percy Jackson and the Olympians star wants to see the show make a major change for season 5. So far, the Disney+ series has been adapting one book per season. Season 1 adapted the first Percy Jackson book, The Lightning Thief, while season 2 adapts The Sea of Monsters.

In an interview with Liam Crowley for ScreenRant‘s Percy Jackson season 2 cover story, Aryan Simhadri reveals that he would like season 5 to be split into two parts. On the current trajectory, season 5 would adapt The Last Olympian, the final installment in the main Percy Jackson book series.

Simhadri, who plays Grover, mentioned this after being asked about having any interest in directing a future episode, which he imagines would be “a nightmare” and “awesome.” He also shared his hopes that he and Walker Scobell, who plays Percy Jackson, will be in the writers’ room or be producers by season 4 or 5. Check out his comments below:

That would be such a nightmare (laughs). I think it’d be awesome, though. Walker and I, we always ask. Every season. They’re like, “Oh, maybe next season.” But I think it’s a realistic thing by season 4 or maybe season 5 especially. I want them to split season 5 into two parts, but I think by season 4 or 5, if we could be in the writers’ room or be producers, I think that would be awesome. We just have so many ideas that we want to pitch. Sometimes we want to see the story go in a certain direction or see certain additions or see stuff. We have so many ideas and the writers’ team is always listening to us, but I feel like we’d love to be a part of that process. That’d be rad.

The Last Olympian is the culmination of the story revolving around Percy, Kronos, and the Great Prophecy that begins with The Lightning Thief. As the end of the original series, and with it concluding many storylines and character arcs, it is understandable for Simhadri to envision the show needing to be adapted into two parts.

In terms of material to adapt, The Last Olympian is the longest book in the main series, but not by an extensive margin. This raises the question of whether season 5 should be split into two parts, especially if the series continues with all other seasons being eight episodes each.

It is important to note that the series has not been renewed for season 4 or 5 yet. Season 3 was renewed in March and filming began in August, months ahead of season 2’s December debut. Between the early renewal and season 1 breaking Disney+ viewership records, though, it seems likely that seasons 4 and 5 will happen as well.

As the younger members of the Percy Jackson cast grow up alongside their characters, they also have the potential to take on more responsibilities within the series. For Simhadri and Scobell, this could involve being producers or part of the writers’ room, where they can better advocate for something like splitting season 5 into two parts.

Directing an episode in Percy Jackson and the Olympians seasons 4 or 5 is also a compelling possibility for Simhadri, even more so if it is an episode that features a pivotal moment for Grover. He can use his deep understanding of Grover to do the character justice in front of and behind the camera.