The highly anticipated live-action adaptation of Rick Riordan’s best-selling novels, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, has released a new trailer that showcases the epic adventure that awaits the viewers. The series, which will premiere on Disney+ on December 20th, follows the journey of Percy Jackson, a 12-year-old boy who discovers he is a demigod, the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea.
A Faithful Adaptation of The Lightning Thief
The new trailer, which is 93 seconds long, reveals more details about the plot of the first season, which is based on the first book in the series, The Lightning Thief. The trailer opens with Percy’s voice-over, saying “My name is Percy Jackson. I always thought I was a normal kid. Until I found out I was a demigod.” The trailer then shows glimpses of Percy’s life at home and school, where he faces bullies, dyslexia, and strange occurrences.
The trailer also introduces some of the main characters that will accompany Percy on his quest, such as Annabeth Chase, a daughter of Athena and a skilled warrior; Grover Underwood, a satyr and Percy’s best friend; and Chiron, a centaur and the trainer of demigods at Camp Half-Blood, the secret sanctuary for children of the gods. The trailer also features some of the villains that Percy will have to face, such as Medusa, the Fury, and Ares, the god of war.
The trailer also hints at some of the locations and challenges that Percy and his friends will encounter on their quest to find Zeus’ stolen lightning bolt and prevent a war between the gods. The trailer shows scenes of Percy fighting a minotaur, flying on a pegasus, exploring the Lotus Hotel and Casino, and confronting Hades in the Underworld.
The trailer has received positive feedback from fans and critics alike, who praised the faithful adaptation of the source material, the impressive visual effects, and the diverse cast. Rick Riordan, the author of the novels and an executive producer of the series, also expressed his satisfaction with the trailer and the series on his social media accounts.
A Long-Awaited Redemption for Percy Jackson
The new trailer marks a significant milestone for Percy Jackson fans, who have been waiting for a live-action adaptation that does justice to their beloved characters and stories. The previous attempt to bring Percy Jackson to the big screen resulted in two movies that were widely criticized for deviating from the books, changing key elements of the plot and characters, and failing to capture the spirit and tone of the novels.
The movies also disappointed Riordan, who had little creative input or control over them. Riordan revealed in his blog that he had tried to warn the filmmakers about their mistakes and offer suggestions to improve the scripts, but his efforts were ignored or rejected. Riordan also shared some of his emails to the producers, where he expressed his concerns about casting older actors for teenage roles, changing Percy’s personality and backstory, adding unnecessary romance and violence, and omitting important scenes and characters from the books.
Riordan’s involvement in the Disney+ series has been a key factor in ensuring its quality and accuracy. Riordan announced in May 2020 that he and his wife Becky Riordan were working closely with Disney to develop the series. Riordan said that they had “full involvement” in every aspect of the show, from writing to casting to production. Riordan also said that he was “very excited” about the creative team behind the series, which includes director James Bobin (The Muppets), showrunner Jon Steinberg (Black Sails), and writer Joe Tracz (A Series of Unfortunate Events).
Riordan also said that he was “thrilled” with the cast of the series, which features young and talented actors who match the age and appearance of their characters in the books. Walker Scobell plays Percy Jackson, Mallory Mahoney plays Annabeth Chase, Jorrel Javier plays Grover Underwood, Glynn Turman plays Chiron, Charlie Bushnell plays Luke Castellan, Lance Reddick plays Zeus, Toby Stephens plays Poseidon, Adam “Edge” Copeland plays Ares, Uma Thurman plays Medusa, Rosario Dawson plays Persephone, Steve Coogan plays Hades, Logan Lerman plays Hermes (a cameo role), and Alexandra Daddario plays Athena (a voice role).
A Promising Start for a New Franchise
The new trailer also raises expectations for the future of Percy Jackson as a new franchise on Disney+. The series has already been renewed for a second season, which will adapt the second book in the series, The Sea of Monsters. Riordan has also confirmed that the series will cover all five books in the original series, as well as the spin-off series, The Heroes of Olympus and The Trials of Apollo, which feature new and returning characters from the Percy Jackson universe.
The series also has the potential to expand into other media, such as comics, games, merchandise, and theme park attractions. Disney has already announced that a Percy Jackson tie-in edition of The Lightning Thief, with eight pages of photos from the series, will be released on November 21st. Disney has also launched a Percy Jackson website, where fans can find more information about the series, the cast, the characters, and the mythology.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is set to premiere on Disney+ on December 20th. The series will consist of eight episodes, each one hour long. The series will be available in multiple languages and regions, including English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean.
