Disney+ brings the Percy Jackson and the Olympians book series to life through their new television show, with author Rick Riordan leading the production. Percy Jackson has been a favorite book series to many since its publishing in 2005, with over 100 million copies sold in the United States alone, leaving many book fans waiting for the film adaptation. In 2010, the first Percy Jackson and the Lighting Thief movie hit the big screens and left book lovers more than a little disappointed, making anticipation for the television show substantial. In May 2020, Disney announced that they were going to release the Percy Jackson television series, beginning production in 2022 and dropping the trailer in 2023. After the trailer’s release, it had over 84.3M views in the first ten days.
Casting Walker Scobell as Percy, Leah Jefferies as Annabeth, and Aryan Simhadri as Grover clued many readers into what the characters looked like through Riordan’s eyes. Nonetheless, many characters, Annabeth and Grover especially, weren’t cast to look like how they are described in the books. A Sophomore from Skyline’s Book Club said, “Many of the characters looked a lot different than I imagined, so at first I was disappointed, but then I saw that the personalities were perfect, and that’s what really mattered.” Even though Walker didn’t have the same black hair Percy had, he fit the role perfectly. As another Book Club member said, “Walker gives Percy vibes.”
Rick Riordan’s screenplay writing gave the television show the things it needed to be successful. Sophomore Kate Glissmeyer stated, “It made the show that much better just knowing that it was Uncle Rick himself that wrote it and that if that’s the way that the original creator wanted it, then that’s fantastic and already far better than the movie.” The television show was different from the movies, as it seemed like it was created by the mind of a twelve-year-old, giving it the twist that made the books so great.
“I Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher” and “I Become Supreme Lord of the Bathroom” are authentic phrases for Jackson lovers, making the episode titles grab the attention of any fan. Each one of the eight episodes captures a major scene from the chapter title it references.
However, some fans dislike the fact that some scenes were changed or cut out in general. Senior Jake Johnson said, “I liked the book series more because it was just so well written in so many ways. The TV show is also great, it just cut out and changed too many things.”
Season two of the Percy Jackson series was confirmed in February 2024. As the release date has not been confirmed, many are hopeful that the next season will be released in late 2024 or early 2025. Season two is set to depict the second book, “The Sea of Monsters.” The season will star Percy, Annabeth, and Grover as they try to find the Golden Fleece.
In the end, the Percy Jackson books will always have the hearts of fans around the world.
Glissmeyer said, “I loved the book, and it will always be better for me because the characters are so authentic, and I get to imagine their tones and the small details about their appearances that aren’t described by the book. Though I do love the TV show, I love the books more.” The books allow readers to dive in, create their own world, and create their own inspiration for characters. Making a movie or a television show never correctly illustrates the reader’s world because every reader is different, but as one Skyline Book Club member said, “The book is always better, but the TV show was just as fun and captivating and greatly exceeded my expectations.”
