On June 28, 2005, “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” hit bookstore shelves for the first time. The story follows a twelve-year-old demigod named Percy Jackson and his friends as they are hunted by monsters, sent on dangerous quests and face the gods of Olympus. Readers of all ages quickly became fascinated with the fantastical world and captivating characters created by author Rick Riordan. Lucky for the hungry readers, Riordan would go on to write four more books in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series from 2005 to 2009.
Due to the roaring success of the books, filmmakers moved to adapt the books into movies. The first movie, released in 2010 and named after the first book, was a commercial success, but many book fans and critics disapproved of the movie’s many differences from the original novel. In the movie, Percy Jackson (played by Logan Lerman) was 16 years old instead of 12, and many of the main plot points were changed for pacing. Nevertheless, in 2013, the second movie was released, and again was a commercial success. However, the second movie strayed from the plot of the second book even more than the previous one. Fans, critics and even author Rick Riordan were upset at the adaptions and felt like they were missing too many of the book’s plotlines.
No third movie was ever made, but in 2020 it was announced that Disney+ was releasing a Percy Jackson & the Olympians television series. Rick Riordan developed and adapted the plot with television producer and screenwriter Johnathan E. Steinberg and film producer Dan Shotz becoming the executive producers. Walker Scobell portrays the leading role of Percy Jackson alongside Leah Jeffries who plays the wise Annabeth Chase, and Aryan Simhadri who plays loveable sayter Grover Underwood.
Molly McAbee (11) read the books and is excited to watch the show.
“I think from what I’ve seen they’ve done a really good job with the casting and the actors embody the characters perfectly,” McAbee said.
After 10 years of waiting, “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” premiered on Disney+ on Dec. 19, 2023. According to “Variety,” the two-episode series premiere brought in 13.3 million viewers in the first six days on Disney+ and Hulu, placing it in the top five of premiere views for both streaming services. Fans and critics around the globe excitedly binged the two episodes and shared their thoughts online.
Craig Mathieson, a top film critic who works for the “Sydney Morning Herald,” shared his favorite thing about the new show on Rotten Tomatoes.
“What I like most about this adaptation of the first novel in Rick Riordan’s best-selling fantasy series is that it speaks to the audience the books were written for: younger primary school students,” Mathieson said.
However, primary school students are not the only ones who the show speaks to. Many young adults who grew up reading the book series have enjoyed reliving their childhood through the adaption. Even young adults who have not read the series enjoy the real, yet fantastical world of Percy Jackson.
Madison Winter (11) has not read the books yet, but she says the show might change that.
“I started the show not really knowing what it was about, and I ended up loving it. It has made me want to go back and read the books before the next seasons come out,” Winter said.
From children who are getting their first taste of the Percy Jackson universe to adults who are getting the opportunity to relive some of their favorite childhood memories, “Percy Jackson & the Olympians” has proven to be a rousing success.
