Transforming Page-to-Screen Adaptations: Lessons from Percy Jackson and Artemis Fowl
By Published May 2, 2026, 7:31 PM EDT
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has been a massive success for Disney+, and with that success brings the idea of more page-to-screen adaptations, including the potential to right a wrong the streaming service made in its earlier days. While viewers now know the streaming series as a direct adaptation from the pages of Rick Riordan's bestselling novels, prior to the show's development, there was a film adaptation of the book. Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief came out in 2010, and while it was strong enough to develop a sequel, it wasn't a faithful or overtly successful adaptation.
When Disney+ chose to move forward with the adaptation, fans of the books were skeptical given the decisions made for the films, but the show has been able to stick closer to the source material in a way that feels respectful. It's become clear through the fluctuation of popularity in page-to-screen adaptations that TV can be a stronger medium for long-form storytelling than a film or film franchise. Although the streamer has , another adaptation wasn't given the same chance at a revamp after a failure at going from page to screen.
After failing to adapt the incredibly successful book series into a film in 2026, deserves the Percy Jackson treatment.
Disney Has Turned Percy Jackson From A Meh Movie To A Terrific TV Show
For years, readers of the Percy Jackson series were hopeful that Riordan's work would find its way to the screen. Once the original book series was released in 2005, it felt like only a matter of time before the epic tales of Percy and his friends made their way to the screen. The first film in the series, , starred Logan Lerman as Percy. While there were elements of the novels at the foundation of the film, the movie took a lot of liberties in telling the story that didn't align with Riordan's work, which pushed fans away.
Although the franchise continued for two films, they lost steam with viewers and struggled to connect with the core fanbase of Riordan's work. In the years after the films, many wondered if could be in the cards, but when the Disney+ series was announced, some were still skeptical. The series has been able to, however, capture the original magic of Riordan's novels in the way many originally hoped. By adapting the source material more closely, the story feels more complete, which has helped make Percy Jackson & The Olympians a genuine success.
Artemis Fowl's Movie Adaptation Was As Bad As It Gets
Another popular book series, Artemis Fowl, had an incredibly tough showing when it was adapted into a film. Starting off from rocky beginnings, Artemis Fowl was originally intended to be made into a film franchise in the early 2000s, but stalled for well over a decade due to developmental issues. The books, and debuted in 2001, were a beloved series following the titular Artemis, who set out on a quest to rescue his kidnapped father with the help of some magical creatures. While the film was highly anticipated, it failed to meet any expectations.
as a film, aside from the rest, came from the fact that many struggled with the characterization and casting choices made for the story. On top of a lack of worldbuilding, underdeveloped supporting characters, and storytelling that felt too broad, the main character felt different than he had in the books. In the novels, Artemis is portrayed as a morally ambiguous prodigy, but with a huge departure from the source material, the film portrays Artemis as more of a standard hero figure. While Ferdia Shaw plays Artemis well, his core character felt changed.
Artemis Fowl Could Still Make For A Great Disney+ TV Show
Although the Artemis Fowl film wasn't the right fit for the story, the idea of a TV adaptation from page to screen shouldn't be out of the question. Artemis Fowl is a long-ranging book series that requires a lot of foundation and a steady sense of mythology to work for readers. The series was captivating because of how it was able to grab the attention of its audience and bring them into a fully realized story. The film, unfortunately, didn't have the time or space to make something like that happen, but a streaming series could be far better.
Similarly to what happened with the original Percy Jackson films, in a film franchise and assume that viewers would hop on the bandwagon. Despite the shortcomings of that decision and the movie that resulted in it, Artemis Fowl is still an incredible story, blending advanced technology and mythological elements into a winding world that deserves its fair share of attention. With Percy Jackson as the blueprint, Artemis Fowl could be a fantastic second venture for Disney+ to take a chance on IP that didn't work for them the first time out.
What An Artemis Fowl TV Show Would Need To Change From The Movie
Though some changes that would need to be made to Artemis Fowl if it were to venture into the world of streaming would be obvious, like the casting itself, a streaming series would need to take some painstaking looks at what worked and what didn't within the film. The series itself would need to take a hard look at the source material to ensure that what jumps from page to screen works well. By using a series structure, the show would be able to expand the lore and really dig into what makes Artemis Fowl special as a series.
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The worldbuilding of the show would need to be expanded immediately, with more of an understanding of how magic plays into the story than the film provided. It would be with an Artemis Fowl series and involve Colfer, the author, in the same way that Riordan came on to advise on the Disney+ series. Going into the series adaptation with a strategy would be crucial. Preserving the heart of what makes Artemis Fowl special would be key if a project were to forge ahead in the same vein as its predecessor.
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Leah Sava Jeffries Annabeth Chase
Based on the fantasy novel series by Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson & the Olympians is an action-adventure fantasy TV series created for Disney+. When Percy Jackson is framed for the theft of Zeus' almighty thunderbolt, Percy must clear his name, all while harnessing the powers inherited by his father Poseidon at a camp created for demi-gods.
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