It’s finally happening! Percy Jackson and the Olympians is officially going to be a series pretty soon.
I remember reading the Percy Jackson series as a teenager, imagining how Camp Half Blood would actually be like. The books transported me to an entirely different world, along the lines of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, and never failed to create that magic through its storytelling.
After the worst possible film adaptations of the first two books in the series came out, it was a given that all Percy Jackson fans were disappointed. The films were poorly made, not promoted well enough, and failed to leave any impact.
Ever since then, fans have wanted the Percy Jackson series to be adapted into a good TV or web series. It took a long time for us to finally get there, but dreams came true when the author of the book series, Rick Riordan, announced in an official video that the series is finally being adapted into a Disney+ series.
If you’re also a Percy Jackson fan who is as excited as I am, you’re at the right place. Here’s everything we know so far about the upcoming Disney+ series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
Rick Riordan, the author of the original book series, teased the making of a series based on his books long back, in May 2020. However, the series was officially picked up by Disney+ and announced on January 25, 2022. Here’s the announcement video featuring Rick Riordan.
Though the series was formally announced on January 25, 2022, and it began filming on June 2, 2022, no official release date has yet been announced. The series will premiere on Disney+ and a release date announcement can be expected soon. All we know is that Season 1 will have eight episodes.
No teaser, trailer, or poster has been released as of now. Since the cast just began filming, it will be a while before we get any of that. But honestly, I am not complaining. They better do it right this time than hurry their way through.
2. Who is starring in the series?
The titular role of Percy Jackson in the series is being played by 13-year-old Walker Scobell. Scobell made his debut in the Netflix film, The Adam Project. He will also be seen in Secret Headquarters, which will hit the screens this August.
Two other significant characters in the series are Grover Underwood, Percy’s friend and a satyr, and Annabeth Chase, the daughter of Athena, and also Percy’s love interest. Leah Sava Jeffries will be playing Annabeth Chase in the series, while Aryan Simhadri will step into the shoes of Grover Underwood.
Though Annabeth Chase is white in the books, it is actually commendable that the casting directors and Riordan chose a woman of color to play the female lead in the series. The casting has been done keeping the company’s non-discrimination policy in mind, as explained by Rick Riordan online.
Apart from the main trio, other members of the cast include Megan Mullally as Mrs. Dodds, Jason Mantzoukas as Dionysus, and Glynn Turman as hero-trainer Chiron. Virginia Kull will be seen as Percy’s mother, Sally Jackson and Timm Sharp will be playing Percy’s stepfather, Gabe.
Dior Goodjohn, Olivea Morton, and Charlie Bushnell will also be seen in the series as Clarisse La Rue, daughter of Ares, Nancy Bobofit, and Hermes cabin counselor Luke Castellan respectively.
3. What is Percy Jackson about?
Before I begin, if you’ve not read the books yet, this is your time to read them as soon as possible, before the series drops on Disney+. Trust me, you will not regret it, as reading the series is an experience in itself.
But for those of you who do not know, the Percy Jackson series is a series of five books written by Rick Riordan. The story follows 12-year-old Percy Jackson who discovers that he is no ordinary child, but a demigod. He is son of the Greek God, Poseidon, the God of the Sea.
Percy Jackson’s special abilities require him to leave his normal school education to join Camp Half Blood, a place made for people just like him. As Percy struggles through studies, emotional upheaval and teenage problems, he also needs to fight dangerous wars with monsters and Gods alike.
The story is a brilliant coming-of-age story and a shout-out all those children who do not belong. Percy is dyslexic in the books, but yet he is special in ways others cannot imagine. Riordan wrote the stories for his 10-year-old neurodivergent son and explained that he wanted his son to never feel left out.
The series is also a brilliant, satirical modern-day take on Greek mythology and a perfect blend of young adult fiction and mythology. The popularity of the book series also made Riordan write a sequel series set in the same universe, titled the Heroes of Olympus.
Unlike the two previous film adaptations, which were not at all well-received by either the fandom or Riordan himself, this series promises to remain as faithful to the original books as possible. Rick Riordan is also co-writing the pilot, and has himself been deeply involved in the making.
According to Disney+, the upcoming series will be “closely aligned” with the original books.
4. What to expect from the series?
Since Disney+ and Rick Riordan have both confirmed that the series will be closely aligned with the original books, I guess we can expect the story to remain the same, more or less.
In the series, each of the five books follows Percy in a different adventure. It is pretty similar to Harry Potter in terms of structure, though the premise is different. So, I am guessing the series will also have five seasons, each based on one book of the series, considering that it gets renewed for subsequent seasons.
You can expect lots of good humor, especially if Riordan continues to guide the writing in the show, as humor is the hallmark of the books. The series will most likely be a young adult drama, since the show will be about people in that age group.
There’s also friendship, romance, a certain degree of action and violence, and of course, magic and fantasy. We can expect to see good VFX and stunning visuals, along with some stellar action sequences.
It is also essential that the chemistry between the lead trio is easy-going and fun, since they are integral to the plot. We’re also going to see a budding romance between Percy and Annabeth, but spoiler alert—they don’t kiss until Book 5, aka Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian.
All in all, if the show is made well, it has the potential to become one of the most popular fantasy drama shows for young adults. Here’s hoping for the best!
About Percy Jackson And The Olympians
Percy Jackson And The Olympians is an upcoming Disney+ show which will follow the events of the book series of the same name by Rick Riordan. The fantasy action series is now in production.
The series will follow each of the five books in the fantasy novel series, covering one book per season. The first season will follow Percy Jackson, who just discovered he is a demigod and son of Poseidon, Greek God of the Sea; Annabeth Chase, the daughter of Athena; and the brave satyr Grover. The first season follows the teens across states as they go on a quest to save Percy’s mother from Hades.
The series stars Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson, Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth Chase, Aryan Simhadri as Grover, Virginia Kull as Saly Jackson, Charlie Bushnell as Luke Castellan, Dior Goodjohn as Clarisse LaRue, and more.
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