Netflix Made a Huge Mistake Scrapping This Rick Riordan Series

Percy Jackson and the Olympians has been doing phenomenal numbers for Disney+ with 110 million hours streamed as of Feb. 7, according to a press release. Fans of this beloved Rick Riordan book series have been waiting nearly two decades for a worthwhile adaptation, and thanks to Riordan’s involvement and an immense amount of care from the cast and crew, Disney+ seems to have struck gold with this franchise.

However, Percy Jackson and the Olympians isn’t the only mythology-based middle grade book series that Rick Riordan has written. The Kane Chronicles may not be as well-known as its Greek predecessor, but this 2010s trilogy based on Egyptian mythology still has a dedicated fan base eager to see these characters on screen. 

Following estranged siblings Carter and Sadie Kane, The Kane Chronicles is an epic story of magic, legend, and the power of family. After being taken in by their Uncle Amos and introduced to their family’s long history as magicians, Carter and Sadie discovery that not only are they hosts, or conduits, for the Egyptian gods Horus and Isis, but that other gods are coming back to life all over the world, and not all of them have good intentions. Using their newfound powers and connection to a secret society of magicians, Carter and Sadie have to put their past aside and work together to save their family, and the world.

Riordan first announced that a film series based on The Kane Chronicles was going into development for Netflix in 2020, but recently gave a disappointing update, telling a fan on GoodReads (via Variety) that “Right now, Kane Chronicles is in ‘turnaround,’ which means Netflix has decided not to move forward and their option has lapsed after trying for two years to develop a script they liked. Now it depends on whether another studio would like to step in, assume the preproduction costs, and move forward.”

With how popular Percy Jackson has been for Disney+, it’s a surprise that Netflix would be willing to let this property go. Teen dramas like Stranger Things, Wednesday and Ginny & Georgia have been big hits for the streamer, and it feels like a wasted opportunity to not add a film or TV adaptation of The Kane Chronicles into the mix.

However, if Disney+ plus does continue its relationship with Rick Riordan and continues to produce seasons of Percy Jackson and its spinoff book series, then maybe it’s better for The Kane Chronicles to find a different home. There is a book series titled Demigods & Magicians that sees the worlds and characters of Percy Jackson and The Kane Chronicles collide, and it’s more likely to get its own adaptation if both of the original series have been adapted for the same company.

But this would be years down the line if it were to happen, and I’m not holding my breath with how quickly streaming services cancel TV shows. Still, simply looking at the popularity of Disney+’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, Netflix really dropped the ball on getting their own piece of the Riordan fandom pie. Aside from the potential monetary value (which we know is the chief driving force for these streaming services), The Kane Chronicles is also just a fun take on Egyptian mythology – like the Moon Knight TV series for a slightly younger audience. 

Hopefully, The Kane Chronicles will find a more worthy home soon, whether it’s part of a greater Rick Riordan universe of shows and movies on Disney+ or not. Sadie and Carter deserve to have their story brought to life on screen too, even if Netflix doesn’t think so.