If there’s one thing fans of the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan know, it is that the original movie adaptations don’t exist. Luckily, a new TV adaptation called Percy Jackson and the Olympians is in the works and set to be released through Disney+ on December 20, 2023.
The TV series is based on the books of the same name and will follow the events of the first novel. Percy Jackson is a demigod, with one mortal parent and one parent who is a Greek God. The twelve-year-old adolescent is just coming to terms with his magical powers when he is accused of stealing the Olympian Zeus’ master lightning bolt. Together with his new friends, fellow demigod Annabeth Chase and satyr Grover Underwood, Percy must undergo a quest to find out who really stole the lightning bolt and avoid Zeus’ wrath.
The adaptation has been a long time coming. Riordan pitched the script for the adaptation in 2019, and in 2020 Disney+ began developing season one of the series. He announced the search for the show’s cast in 2021, and the show was officially greenlit in 2022.
One of the most anticipated aspects of the show was the casting announcement, as it can be hard to live up to the expectations of the readers. Logan Lerman, who played Percy Jackson in the original movie series, has become beloved by fans, but many took issue with Alexandria Daddrio, the actress for Annabeth Chase. Daddrio is not a natural blonde, and a prominent characteristic of the book character was that she had blonde hair. Annabeth was portrayed as a brunette in the first Percy Jackson movie, much to the dismay of fans. This resulted in Daddrio dying her hair blonde for the second Percy Jackson movie.
The Disney+ cast features Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson, previously known for his work on The Adam Project. He is joined by Leah Savah Jeffries as Annabeth Chase and Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood. There was some controversy over Jefferies’ casting, as Annabeth was imagined by many to be white in the book series, likely due to her blonde hair being such a focal point. Riordan defended his decision on X, saying: “This post is specifically for those who have a problem with the casting of Leah Jeffries as Annabeth Chase.” He continued: “It’s a shame such posts need to be written, but they do…Leah brings so much energy and enthusiasm to this role, so much of Annabeth’s strength. She will be a role model for new generations of girls who will see in her the kind of hero they want to be.”
The main issue that many fans had with the original movie adaptations was how unfaithful they were to their original source material. This was in large part due to the fact that Riordan had limited influence during production. He has been outspoken about how much he dislikes the films, and in March 2016 even requested that teachers not play them during class time. However, Rirodan has fully endorsed the TV adaptation and serves as an executive producer.
Only time will tell if the TV series can live up to the expectations of the fans, but if they do enjoy it they won’t be able to binge the show all at once. The first two episodes will be released on December 20, and the rest of the series will be released weekly.
Watch the trailer for the Disney+ series here.
