Have you ever watched a film that is a complete disgrace to its source material? If you have suffered through such a film, you would understand how fans felt watching the Percy Jackson films. 20th Century Fox made a sad attempt at adapting the franchise in the 2010s, leaving millions saddened to see their favorite series massacred in such a way.
It took ten years for Percy Jackson to get a faithful adaptation. In December of 2023, Jonathan E. Steinberg and author Rick Riordan successfully brought Camp Half-Blood to life on Disney Plus.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians follows the titular character on his heroic journey: discovering his godly heritage, fighting off monsters, and discovering his full potential. The first season focuses on Percy’s (Walker Scobell) first quest一returning Zeus’s (Lance Reddick) master bolt to avoid a war between the gods.
One of the most pivotal and heartbreaking aspects of the Percy Jackson series is the age of the characters. The main characters are middle schoolers, forced to risk their lives and live as pawns for the gods. The series captures this beautifully. Scobell’s portrayal of Percy perfectly describes the juxtaposition between the silliness and undying loyalty his character holds. He knows he is just a kid, but time and time again puts his life on the line for his mother and friends. He masters both quips and emotional scenes and perfectly embodies the character of Percy Jackson.
Leah Sava Jeffries was excellent in her role as Annabeth Chase. She encapsulates the clever nature of her character and her exasperation with Percy’s tomfoolery. She dealt with backlash due to being cast as a character who was white in the original novel but did not let the negativity impact her performance. She added depth to Annabeth’s character, showcasing her clever nature and tragic background. I love her dynamic with Percy, especially in episode five, and cannot wait to see it continue in future seasons
Like Jeffries, Simhardi added much more depth to Grover than was seen in the novel. He was awkward and timid but proved a force to be reckoned with, especially in his conversation with Ares in episode five. I loved seeing his friendship with Percy and his goofy consensus song in episode three.
The sets of the show were incredibly well done. Camp Half-Blood, Montauk, Olympus, Aunty Em’s, Waterland, Crusty’s WaterBed Emporium, St. Louis Arch, and the Underworld felt like they were ripped off of the pages of the novel. The fight between Percy and Ares in the finale was a personal favorite, and I was thrilled to see the waves swell behind Percy as he found his power.
Is Percy Jackson and The Olympians a word-for-word adaptation? Of course not. It would have been incredibly difficult to squish twenty-two chapters into eight thirty-minute episodes. But Riordan was able to accommodate the length, changing some plot points to make the situation more dire and fitting for television. None of the changes stray far from the original story, and many add further depth to the characters and plot as a whole.
As a hardcore Percy Jackson fan, I loved the series. I felt all of the actors and crew worked together to create a series that, although flawed, was a great adaptation and spiritual successor to the universally loved series. I would highly recommend the series to fans and newcomers alike, and can’t wait to watch the next season.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is now available on Disney Plus.
