Disney and Rick Riordan Help UK Patients Discover Their Inner Hero

Patients at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London became some of the first UK fans to see the new Disney+ series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Disney+ UK facilitated the screening in collaboration with MediCinema, a UK charity that provides therapeutic cinema experiences to improve the mental, emotional and physical wellbeing of patients and their loved ones. 

 Meet & Greet with Percy Jackson Creator Rick Riordan 

Along with a viewing of the first two episodes of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, patients received a special treat when author, series co-creator, and executive producer Rick Riordan and executive producer Rebecca Riordan visited the hospital. Along with taking part in a Q&A, the Riordans spent time chatting with patients. Each patient in attendance was gifted a signed copy of the best-selling novel, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. 

 “The Percy Jackson premiere was absolutely amazing! It made us both so happy and forget temporarily about all the stress and worry we’d been through recently” said Sally, mum to Alanna. 

What is Percy Jackson and the Olympians? 

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a Disney+ Original series that tells the fantastical story of a 12-year-old modern demigod, Percy Jackson, who’s just coming to terms with his newfound divine powers. 

The show is based on Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Disney Hyperion’s best-selling book series by award-winning author Rick Riordan. Published in 2005, the book series has an extensive following, and multitudes of original and newfound fans tuned in to watch the show’s debut. The books returned to No.1 on the New York Times Best Seller List for Middle Grade series, the show became one of Disney+’s top five season premieres of 2023*, and as of February 2024, over 110 million hours of Percy Jackson and the Olympians had been streamed**. Because of the enthusiastic reception of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the series has already been renewed for a second season. 

Bringing beloved stories like Percy Jackson and the Olympians to young hospital patients is part of The Walt Disney Company’s commitment to delivering joy and comfort to children facing illness and the people who care for them. Disney brings the positive power of its stories, characters, and immersive experiences to more than 1300 children’s hospitals and pediatric places of care around the world. To learn more, please visit joy.disney.com.  

*Source: Internal data based on views in its first 3 weeks streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. 

**Source: Internal data