Maha Yassin
Attention demigods and the people who do not know what a demigod is yet! The Fates have spoken, and we are getting a new and hopefully much-improved adaptation of the middle-grade sensational book series Percy Jackson and The Olympians! We have prayed for this day, and the gods have been listening because the new adaptation is Riordan-approved and is looking better and better every day.
With a teaser trailer already released and the cast already announced, the trip to Camp Half-Blood is coming sooner rather than later. Rick Riordan himself has been promoting the show as much as he can while the cast is not yet allowed to —due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes. From appearances at New York Comic Con to the cast announcements via social media, Percy Jackson sure is coming!
There is a lot to tell you about the upcoming Percy Jackson and The Olympians series on Disney Plus. Whether you’re an old camper or totally new to the world of Greek gods and demons, this article is essential for you! And we will start from the very beginning of the Percy Jackson story.
What Is Percy Jackson and the Olympians About?
We will assume that some people have never heard about Percy Jackson and The Olymians before. No worries! The new Disney Plus show is as much for the old fans as it is for new ones who are yet to be introduced to the world. But because we don’t want you to go in blind, here is a quick summary of what Percy Jackson is all about!
A 12-Year-Old Is What?!
Percy Jackson and The Olympians is a five-book series written by Rick Riordan. The book tells the story of 12-year-old Percy Jackson, who suddenly discovers he is a demigod! Having lived his entire life with his mother, Sally, and his horrible stepfather, Gabe, Percy always assumed that his birth father was either dead or at least dead to him!
After being attacked by a monster while on a school trip, Percy’s mother and his best friend, Grover, take him to Camp Half-Blood. Camp Half-Blood is a safe place where demigods can train to defend themselves and accept quests from Greek gods to earn their favour.
Through the first five books, Percy and his demigod friends are tasked with various quests from the gods while simultaneously trying to save the world from a deadly prophecy that states that Percy will bring forth the end of the world! Interesting, right?
Has Percy Jackson and the Olympians Been Adapted Before?
If this story seems familiar to you, even though you did not read the Rick Riordan books, then it is because this is not the first time Percy Jackson has been adapted to the screen.
In 2010, Percy Jackson and The Lighting Thief —the first book in the series, was adapted into a feature film by 20th Century Fox. The movie starred Logan Lerman as Percy Jackson, Brandon T. Jackson as Grover Underwood, and Alexandra Daddario as Annabeth Chase. Even though fans of the books were very excited to see the movie, it did not turn out well! The film had many problems, starting with the actors being way too old and the unfaithful adaptation of the story.
In 2013, a sequel based on the second book, Percy Jackson and The Sea of Monsters, was released. Somehow, it was even worse than the first movie and had many bad reviews. Rick Riordan, the author of the book series himself, had a lot of bad things to say about the adaptation and how he had no say in the matter.
With that, an end came to the Percy Jackson movies, and with it, seemingly, the fans hoped to see Percy on the screen. However, ten years later, Percy is coming back!
What Can We Expect from the Disney Plus Series?
Some of the old fans of Percy Jackson are basically traumatised from the previous adaptations and are afraid to even look forward to the upcoming one. However, there are a lot of reasons why this new Disney Plus adaptation looks much more promising.
This Adaption is Rick Riordan-Approved
Unlike the previous movies, this Disney Plus series based on the Percy Jackson books is Riordan-approved! Rick Riordan has been heavily involved in every step of the creation of the Disney Plus series. From co-writing the episodes to casting to even approving any changes or additions, Rick Riordan oversaw everything!
The Cast Is the Right Age!
Every single cast member has been chosen to be as close to their character’s age as possible. Unlike the movie, we will not have to watch a grown-up Grover pretend to be 12 years old! Rick Riordan was more concerned with the cast being the right age as well as having the proper understanding and essence of their characters than them looking exactly as he described them in the books.
Each Book Will Have Its Own Season
Even though Disney has so far only greenlit the first season, Rick and the creators plan to have five seasons to cover the first series. The first season, coming out on 20 December, will cover the story of Percy Jackson and The Lighting Thief. If we’re lucky enough to get a second season, then it will cover the second book and so on.
Is There a Trailer for Percy Jackson and The Olympians?
You bet there is! A teaser that made the excitement tenfold was released on August 2023, and a month later, a trailer for the first season of Percy Jackson and The Olympians was released on 19 September 2023. The trailer is narrated by Percy, just like the books are.
In the trailer, Percy talks about how he has always been called a troubled kid until he actually became one. We see Percy getting attacked on his field trip to the museum by a monster only he can see! When he manages to escape and goes back home, his mother tells him that all the stories of Greek gods and half-bloods are true. Things even get crazier when his friend, Grover, shows up with goat legs instead of human ones!
The trailer shows different scenes from Percy’s quest to find Zeus’s stolen master bolt. You can see Percy as he goes to Camp Half-Blood for the first time. Many campers appear wearing the Camp’s orange t-shirt as well as some battle gear. Many characters appear in the trailer, including Annabeth Chase (Percy’s friend), Chiron (the Camp’s mentor), and Sally (Percy’s mother).
If you’re a book fan, you will be able to spot many scenes from the books, such as the minotaur scene in the woods, the tunnel of love scene, and the casino scene.
Who Are The Cast of Percy Jackson and The Olympians?
We told you how, this time around, the cast is much more age-appropriate than the last time! But it is not only that! Rick Riordan has personally selected the cast of Percy Jackson and The Olympians. Disney held open auditions for most of the roles to make sure they ended up with the best possible actors who were really passionate about the project.
So let’s meet the campers and the gods of the show!
Walker Scobell As Percy Jackson
Our very own title character, Percy, is played by Walker Scobell. Walker is an American actor who was born in January 2009. He is a super Percy Jackson fan and has said in numerous interviews that he always dreamt of playing the character.
Walker came into the public eye when he starred in Netflix’s The Adam Project with Ryan Reynolds. The actor was praised for his ability to match Reynold’s quick and sharp humour as well as carry his own throughout the movie. Fans of Percy Jackson immediately clocked him to be the perfect Percy!
Leah Jeffries As Annabeth Chase
Our smart girl and daughter of Athena, Annabeth, is played by Leah Jeffries. Immediately after the announcement of the cast, Leah, unfortunately, received a lot of hate comments for not looking like Annabeth from the books. However, Rick Riordan has doubled down on his choice and ensured everyone knows that Leah is the perfect choice to play Annabeth!
Leah has previously appeared on several TV shows, including Empire and Rel. She has also starred in the movie Beast alongside Denzel Washington. Being the same age as Walker, born in September 2009, Leah is the perfect age to portray our beloved Annabeth.
Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood
Our protector, Grover, is played by none other than Aryan Simhadri. Aryan was born in May 2006, which makes him a little older than Walker and Leah. That’s okay, though, because Grover does not need to be the exact age as those two!
Even though Aryan is only 17 years old, he has been a working actor for more than a decade! He started his career in commercials when he was only four years old. He then appeared in multiple TV shows and movies, including Seal Team and Will and Grace. He worked with Disney on various projects, including the movie SPIN and Cheaper by The Dozen.
Jason Mantzoukas as Dionysus/ Mr. D
Jason Mantzoukas is an American actor best known for his roles in Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Good Place. He will be playing Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, who is stuck in Camp Half-Blood as the camp director. Mr. D/ Dionysus is eccentric, wreckless, and very lazy, which are not good characteristics for a camp director!
Glynn Turman as Chiron
Glynn Turman, best known for the 1960s sitcom Peyton Place, will be portraying the centaur Chiron. Turman has also starred in the HBO drama The Wire. His character, Chiron, is the one who is actually responsible for Camp Half-Blood and the campers. He acts as Percy’s mentor and wise guide throughout the series.
Virginia Kull as Sally Jackson
Virginia Kull is an American actress who appeared in numerous TV shows, such as HBO’s Big Little Lies. Virginia will be portraying Percy’s loving mother, Sally. Having lived her entire life trying to protect Percy from the danger she knew was coming, Sally is one of the series’ most loved characters.
Toby Stephens as Poseidon
Toby Stephens is a British actor who is best known for his role as Rochester in the BBC’s adaptation of Jane Eyre. In Percy Jackson, he plays the role of Percy’s godly father, Poseidon. The god of the sea is known to be relaxed and peaceful, always wearing a Hawaiian shirt and holding his trident disguised as a fishing rod.
Lance Reddick as Zeus
The late Lance Reddick, who is best known for his roles in The Wire and John Wick, played the role of the god of the sky, Zeus. Zeus, as the King of the gods, is moody and unforgiving. Unfortunately, Lance died in March 2023, so this season will be his first and last season on the show.
When and Where can you Watch Percy Jackson and the Olympians?
Percy Jackson and The Olympians is set to start streaming on 20 December 2023. The show will be released on Disney Plus on a weekly basis. The first two episodes will be released together on 20 December. However, the rest of the episodes will be coming out once a week. The first season will have eight episodes, and here are their titles:
- Episode 1: I Accidentally Vaporise My Pre-Algebra Teacher
- Episode 2: I Become Supreme Lord of the Bathroom
- Episode 3: We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium
- Episode 4: I Plunge to My Death
- Episode 5: A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers
- Episode 6: We Take a Zebra to Vegas
- Episode 7: We Find Out the Truth, Sort Of
- Episode 8: The Prophecy Comes True
Fun fact: All the episode titles are, in fact, actual chapter titles from the book!
Will Percy Jackson and the Olympians Have a Second Season?
We sure do hope so! However, there has not yet been an official announcement from Disney about a second season. The good news, though, is that the show’s writers, including Rick Riordan, have already started planning and writing the second season, waiting for the green light from Disney.
We can easily guess that Disney is waiting to see how the first season will perform before investing in another season. That means it is all in your hands whether we get a second season or not!
Where Can We Get Updates on Percy Jackson and the Olympians?
Make sure you follow the official accounts of Percy Jackson and the Olympians on Instagram (PercySeries) and Twitter (@PercySeries). The official accounts are where you can find out about trailer news and see the fantastic characters’ posters! If you want more updates and news about the Percy Jackson world in general, then make sure to follow (@CampHalfBlood) on Twitter and Rick Riordan’s account (@RickRiordan).
Are you yet as excited as we are for Percy Jackson and The Olympians? Even Though this series is targeting middle graders and tweens, we can guarantee it will be a perfect show no matter your age! From Percy’s quick humour and the endless adventures the kids go on, you won’t be bored for one second! Mark the date, 20 December; we finally get to go to Camp Half-Blood!