{"id":244162,"date":"2023-12-20T09:17:12","date_gmt":"2023-12-20T09:17:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lovemainstream.com\/?p=244162"},"modified":"2023-12-20T09:17:12","modified_gmt":"2023-12-20T09:17:12","slug":"percy-jackson-and-the-olympians-was-inspired-by-authors-dyslexic-son","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lovemainstream.com\/tv-and-movies\/percy-jackson-and-the-olympians-was-inspired-by-authors-dyslexic-son\/","title":{"rendered":"Percy Jackson and The Olympians was inspired by authors dyslexic son"},"content":{"rendered":"

Percy Jackson and The Olympians: Official teaser trailer<\/h3>\n

Percy Jackson and The Olympians drops on Disney+ this week and the true story behind its creation is warming fans\u2019 hearts.<\/p>\n

Fans of the original children\u2019s book series have been eagerly waiting for the new adaptation to make its way to the streamer since it was first announced in early 2022.<\/p>\n

Young demigod Percy Jackson was last seen in 2010 – when actor Logan Lerman portrayed the teenager in the movie Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief – though it didn\u2019t go down too well with everyone.<\/p>\n

Now, 13 years later, Percy is back but this time on Disney+ with the first two of eight episodes now ready to watch.<\/p>\n

But the story of Percy Jackson came long before this new series, and was actually brought to life thanks to the author Rick Riordan\u2019s son Haley.<\/p>\n

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The 59-year-old first came up with the plot of Percy Jackson for his son as a bedtime story when he was just nine years old.<\/p>\n

Due to having dyslexia and ADHD, Haley didn\u2019t like reading and hated going to school, so much so that he would \u201csit under the table and cry\u201d, according to The Guardian.<\/p>\n

However, Haley did have a fascination with Greek myths, so Rick would talk about his favourite ones before bed.<\/p>\n

When Rick ran out of new stories, Haley went on to suggest to his dad: \u201cWhy can\u2019t you just make one up?\u201d<\/p>\n

And so Percy Jackson was created and, much like Riordan\u2019s son, his character has dyslexia and ADHD.<\/p>\n

Talking about the neurodivergence and disability representation in the new show to Express.co.uk, Riorddan said: “We went into it with Percy Jackson\u2019s mission, as it\u2019s always been, that anyone can be a hero.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s very important to us that people be able to see themselves and know that they\u2019re valued and they belong at Percy\u2019s camp.”<\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

“Percy has changed my life,” Haley told The Guardian back in 2010.<\/p>\n

“You read a lot of books and none of them have a hero who is \u00addyslexic or has ADHD \u2013 it’s always perfect people in a perfect world \u00addoing perfect things.<\/p>\n

\u201cPercy is, in fact, very flawed and he has to fight against that and at the same time fight monsters.”<\/p>\n

Rick added: \u201cThere are so many other \u00adchildren out there like my son who are \u00adstruggling with these issues and feel there is something wrong with them, and there’s not.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s simply a different way of processing information.”<\/p>\n