Netflix Kills Movie Plans for Percy Jackson Spinoff Kane Chronicles

Even before the Disney+ series released this past December, the Percy Jackson universe seemed primed to expand with movie trilogy for the Kane Chronicles books over at Netflix. But four years after that reveal, author Rick Riordan has revealed the streamer won’t be going forward with that endeavor.

Speaking to a curious fan on Goodreads, Riordan said Netflix ultimately decided to pass on bringing those books to the small screen, and ultimately let the project lapse in optioning hell for a few years. As a result, any studio that’d like to go ahead and make the films would have to cover preproduction costs before actually doing anything with them. It’s “not at all unusual,” according to him, and he was frank in saying all of streaming was tightening their belt and cancelling whatever they can to save money.

Even with the recent season two renewal for Percy Jackson & the Olympians, it didn’t stop Kane from getting the boot. As for the other planned spinoff for fellow universe character Magnus Chase that Riordan’s mentioned in the past, that one’s being “[held] in reserve. I don’t want to do that until I have enough bandwidth to do it properly,” he admitted, “and as you may have guessed, I’m pretty busy!”

The Kane Chronicles focus on magician siblings Carter and Sadie who, like Percy, are the descendants of gods. But where Percy and the immediate characters in his orbit come from Greek deities, the Kane siblings are descended from Narmer and Ramses the Great, and their adventures are more centered around Egyptian history and mythology. Their trilogy of books (and accompanying short stories) also have more of a YA bent than the mothership series.

With Percy already on Disney+, it wouldn’t be surprising if Disney decided to get Kane and just have the entire enterprise be under its banner. But it all depends on the future of the streaming industry and how long Disney is willing to stick with Percy Jackson to begin with.

[via Variety]

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.