Disney Brings The Beloved Book To Life (Properly This Time) With The Percy Jackson And The Olympians Trailer
As much as coming-of-age stories like "Harry Potter" tended to suck up all the oxygen in the room during our younger years, Millennials of a certain age can't help but look back fondly on the "Percy Jackson" series. Author Rick Riordan's novels took a fantastical spin on Greek mythology and cleverly blended it with all the typical teenage angst found in YA books everywhere. This approach proved so popular, in fact, that 20th Century Studios (then known as Fox, of course) ushered in two big-budget film adaptations in the early 2010s, following the adventures of the young demigod Percy Jackson with grand ambitions of all six of Riordan's original books. That didn't exactly pan out as expected and plans for the franchise all but fizzled out with "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters" in 2013 ... not least of all because Riordan essentially disowned the films.
The upcoming Disney+ series, however, has been working overtime to right those wrongs and regain the trust of an entire fanbase. Our previous looks at "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" have teased a much simpler and more straightforward retelling of the source material, with the added benefit of having several hours worth of storytelling in order to fully adapt the books while preserving their spirit and tone. As we creep closer and closer to the premiere date, the marketing has been steadily reaching a fever pitch. Today brings yet another full-length trailer for the show and fans will find plenty to get excited about here. Check it out at the link above!
Making lightning strike twice with Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Second time's the charm, right? That's what eager viewers are hoping for with "Percy Jackson and the Olympians," the kid-friendly adaptation coming to Disney+ streaming in just a few weeks time. It certainly helps that Rick Riordan has been directly involved with the creative process this time around, working alongside co-creator Jonathan E. Steinberg for the last few years to bring this series across the finish line in a way that remains faithful to the beloved source material. Jon Steinberg and Dan Shotz serve as showrunners on the series, while Steinberg and Riordan are credited as writers on several of the six total episodes. Directors include James Bobin, Anders Engström, and Jet Wilkinson, all of whom are helming two episodes each.
The series stars Walker Scobell as young demigod Percy, Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth Chase, and Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood as our main trio. The cast also includes bigger names like Virginia Kull, Glynn Turman, Jason Mantzoukas, Megan Mullay, Timm Sharp, Dior Goodjohn, Charlie Bushnell, Adam Copeland, Toby Stephens, Jay Duplass, Timothy Omundson, Lance Reddick, Olivea Morton, Suzanne Cryer, Jessica Parker Kennedy, and, yes, even Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The first two episodes of "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" will debut on Disney+ on December 20, 2023.