For fans of mythology and magic, who also love the idea of these elements existing today in the real world, Disney+ brings a reimagining of a story that has been read by many over the years. As of today, the full season of Disney’s new show, “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” based on a book series of the same title, is available for all Disney+ users. This show explores the adventures of a young man named Percy Jackson who always finds himself in trouble with authority with problems of fitting in, but what do you expect when your dad is a god? Finding out about his origin, young Percy is escorted to a safe haven for people like him; a camp for other half-bloods like himself, where he can learn and train to survive in a world full of monsters and fiends who wish to see him dead in the Underworld.
Fans of the books were skeptical at first about this project, following the events of Fox Studios taking the story and making two movies that did not pan out well for audiences. This, along with a Broadway rendition of the first book, made many fans worried that they would never get the live-action retelling they craved. Things did change for the better because this time, the show was able to stay true to the source material and world-building of the books due to Disney Studios employing the help of Rick Riordan, the author of the book series, to help as an executive producer in the process.
Writing for a second season has already begun as of March 2023, though Riordan cautioned that it has yet to be greenlit. Seeing how the show is designed, however, makes it clear that Disney plans to finish the series in the manner of the books they are based on.
Casting for the show led to finding the right actors to portray the righteous and powerful deities that run the cosmos, as well as many other magical beasts and enemies that are included in the book. Veteran actors such as Megan Mullaly (“Will and Grace”), Timothy Odmundson (“Psych”), Lin-Manual Miranda (“Hamilton”), and Jason Mantzoukas (“Parks and Recreation”) make up the cast of powerful gods and monsters that are a part of the world that Riordan created. Above all, Lance Reddick (“The Wire”) played the all-powerful Zeus, although sadly, Reddick passed away shortly after production was completed.
The younger members of this show include many teens and tweens playing the campers and children of the gods, with young Walker Scobell playing the title role, along with Leah Sava Jeffries and Aryan Simhadri playing his friends Annabeth and Grover, respectively. Logan Lerman, the actor who portrayed Percy Jackson in the films, praised the casting of these three intrepid heroes. Jeffries, however, had some feedback on her casting as Annabeth, since her character is not portrayed as black in the book, but Riordan has dismissed these comments as ignorant, stating, “Once you see Leah as Annabeth, she will become exactly the way you imagine Annabeth, assuming you give her that chance, but you refuse to credit that this may be true.”
As a fan of the book series, and one who has been a fan of Greek mythology in general, I have to say that this show has done me some justice specifically since it has not gone well in the past times that people tried to bring this story to life. The casting is excellent, with each character staying true to their personality and background, as well as the graphics and animation that come with making the world of Camp Half-Blood and beyond in places like Olympus or the Underworld. For those who have read the books growing up, know that you have to watch this show. It will give you the chance to re-experience the excitement and joy you felt from reading the book for the first time, and you’ll feel that joy from watching this show, which is not only extraordinary but legendary and mythtastic. So if you feel like you have what it takes, just know that adventure is waiting for you… at Disney+.
