By: Olivia Peretta
Over Christmas break, the first Percy Jackson book was brought to the screen in a new and much awaited Disney+ series. But this isn’t the first time the famous books have come to life. In the early 2010s, the first two books were adapted into infamously inaccurate movies in which the author, Rick Riordan, was not part of the process. For the new show, first announced in May of 2020, Riordan was completely involved and book accuracy was promised, but was the promise fulfilled?
The Percy Jackson and the Olympians book series has five books, all released in the early 2000s. Season one of the show is based on the first book, The Lightning Thief. The first season (and first book) is about a 12 year old boy named Percy Jackson. After being kicked out of boarding school (again), he discovers that his absent father is actually an Ancient Greek god. Percy goes to Camp Half-Blood, a safe place for the children of the gods. But trouble is brewing amongst the gods in Olympus: Zeus’s master lightning bolt has been stolen. Percy is the prime suspect and goes on a quest across America to find the real lightning thief and return the bolt to Zeus so war among the gods will be prevented. He journeys with Grover Underwood, a friend from his last school who is not as similar to him as he believed, and an experienced camper, Annabeth Chase. Though the books and show are written for younger ages, both are enjoyed by people of all ages and the release of the show has reinvested many old fans of the book!
When casting for the roles, Riordan prioritized age accurate actors who felt more like the characters than just look-alikes. Percy Jackson is played by actor Walker Scobell. Scobell doesn’t have the sea green eyes or dark hair that Percy Jackson has, but, in my opinion, Rick Riordan got it right, as he is the perfect Percy. Scobell just feels like Percy, and he is Percy Jackson, despite the difference in appearance. Even before the show was released, I saw many clips where Scobell just felt like Percy. Seeing the show convinced me even more that Riordan made the right choice.
As for the show itself, I love it! Rick and Becky Riordan, as well as Jonathan E. Steinberg (an executive producer and showrunner) did an amazing job bringing Percy’s world to life. Despite skipping and changing some noticeable parts in the first and third episode, I’d say that the three released episodes of the show are, overall, pretty book accurate. I found them extremely enjoyable and entertaining! The episodes are just as good the second time around, as well! It’s bizarre to see a book you read at age ten on the screen eight years later. I would definitely recommend the show to those who also read the books in their childhood and even to those who haven’t. I’m looking forward to seeing the rest of the episodes (there are eight total) as they release! And for all the other books to be adapted, especially the final and my favorite, The Last Olympian. Disney+ releases the new episodes weekly, on Tuesdays at 9!