Rick Riordan updates Kane Chronicles Disney+ series
Just days after the news broke, Rick Riordan stepped in to cool the excitement surrounding the announced Kane Chronicles adaptation for Disney+. On September 5, 2026, 20th Television confirmed it was developing a series based on Riordan's Egyptian mythology book trilogy. Naturally, fans went into full celebration mode. Riordan, predictably, had something to say about that.
What Rick Riordan actually said about the Kane Chronicles series
Riordan took to social media to put the announcement in its proper context. His message was blunt and surprisingly educational for anyone unfamiliar with how Hollywood development actually works. "In development" does not mean a green light. It does not mean a series order. What it actually means is that Disney paid to have sample scripts written over the course of the past year, and that upper-level executives are now reviewing them to decide whether to move forward.
He was refreshingly direct about the odds. The television industry spends untold millions of dollars each year developing projects that never get made. Most concepts pitched, scripted and even partially produced simply disappear. Only a tiny fraction of projects in development ever receive a green light and make it to filming. Riordan made clear this new series sits firmly in that uncertain middle ground.
That kind of transparency is something we track closely when following Disney+ developments. Knowing the actual status of a title, rather than relying on breathless press release language, makes a real difference when you are trying to figure out what will actually land on a platform. We have seen too many "in development" announcements that went absolutely nowhere.
One detail Riordan did highlight positively : Angela Robinson is attached as co-creator and executive producer. Robinson previously worked on How to Get Away with Murder, which ran for six seasons on ABC. Riordan's endorsement of her involvement was genuine and warm, even within an otherwise measured statement.
The Kane Chronicles adaptation : what we know so far
The story follows the estranged Kane siblings, Carter and Sadie, whose father accidentally unleashes the Egyptian god of chaos before vanishing. The two must learn to control their inherited Egyptian magic, build unlikely alliances, and find their father before warring deities tear apart the modern world. It is a solid premise with real cinematic potential.
| Element | Details |
|---|---|
| Source material | The Kane Chronicles trilogy by Rick Riordan |
| Studio | 20th Television for Disney+ |
| Co-creator | Angela Robinson (How to Get Away with Murder) |
| Executive producers | Rick Riordan, Rebecca Riordan, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Jeremy Bell (The Gotham Group) |
| Current status | In development, no green light confirmed |
The show exists within the same fictional universe as Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which is currently in production at Disney+. Riordan was also clear on one question fans immediately raised : the fate of the Kane Chronicles adaptation has no connection to Percy Jackson's trajectory. The two projects are entirely separate in terms of decision-making.
Speaking of Percy Jackson, Riordan mentioned that its long-term future on Disney+ will likely depend on viewership figures for season three, expected in November. That is a fairly standard dynamic for streaming platforms right now, where renewal decisions hinge heavily on performance data rather than critical reception alone. We keep an eye on those numbers across platforms, and they genuinely shape what gets made next.
- No filming date has been announced or confirmed
- No cast has been revealed at this stage
- No episode count or season structure has been shared
- The project could be cancelled at any point before a formal green light
Why Riordan's communication style matters for fans of book adaptations
Riordan has built a consistent reputation for talking directly and honestly to his readership. Given that a large share of his audience consists of younger readers who may not understand industry jargon, his choice to explain what "in development" actually means is genuinely useful. It avoids the cycle of hype followed by crushing disappointment that plagues so many announced adaptations.
This is not the first time a beloved book series has received an announcement that ultimately led nowhere. The gap between "in development" and "streaming on your screen" can span years, or simply never close at all. For context, many announced streaming projects take between three and five years from first announcement to actual release, even when they do get made.
We think about this a lot when categorising titles by availability status. A project "in development" is genuinely different from one that has a confirmed premiere date, and treating them the same way misleads audiences. Riordan is essentially doing the audience a favour by drawing that line clearly.
For fans hoping to see Carter and Sadie Kane on screen, the best approach right now is patience and healthy scepticism. If Disney+ decides to move forward, a formal green light announcement would be the real milestone to watch for. Until then, the project remains promising but unconfirmed. If you are curious about what other adaptations are actually moving forward on Disney+, the Afterlife with Archie series Disney+ official greenlight is a useful comparison point for what a confirmed production announcement actually looks like.