Percy Jackson and the Olympians | Date, plot, cast and is Disney+ series worth watching
Series name: Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Platform: Disney+
Country of origin: USA
Date of Release: December 20, 2023
Genre: Fantasy
Number of episodes: 8
What is the plot of 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians'?
Very few details are known about the plot apart from 'Demigod Percy Jackson leads a quest across America to prevent a war among the Olympian gods'. But from Rick Riordan's book we know that a hunted Percy heads to Long Island where he discovers a training camp for 'half-bloods' like him. Along with Athena's daughter Annabeth Chase and satyr Grover Underwood Percy takes on a series of tasks to fight the gods and save humanity.
'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' cast
Walker Scobell
You may remember Scobell from playing the younger version of Ryan Reynolds's character in 'The Adam Project'. Of his audition for Percy Jackson, author Riordan said: "[Scobell] blew us away with his audition tapes for the role of Percy." Scobell can next be seen in 'Blood Knot' alongside Michael Douglas and his son Cameron.
Leah Jeffries
The extremely talented Jeffries made her debut in the hit show 'Empire' before playing Idris Elba's daughter in the thrilling 'Beast'. Jeffries' casting as Annabeth Chase sparked controversy online after certain fans claimed that by casting a Black actress the series was diverging from the books. In the two earlier Percy Jackson movies Chase was played by Alexandra Daddario. Daddario, Riordan, and a majority of the fans supported Jeffries and condemned the criticism.
Aryan Simhadri
Another talented young actor to join the Percy Jackson cast, Simhadri won the Young Artist Academy Award for his role in 2021's 'The Main Event'. He also played Haresh Baker in 'Cheaper by the Dozen'. Simhadri is also slated to star in the series 'Adventure in Wonder Park'. The series which is supposed a spin-off from the 2019 film 'Wonder Park' was completed in early 2020, but for reasons not yet revealed there is no release date yet.
How did the two Percy Jackson movies do at the Box Office?
The Percy Jackson movies -- 'Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief' (2010) and 'Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters' (2013) -- were both reasonably successful at the box office with 'Lightning Thief' earning $226 million and 'Sea of Monsters' $202 million, but critics gave both a lukewarm response. Riordan also slammed the films at the time for deviating from the books and distanced himself from them.
What have critics said about Disney's 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' series?
'Paste' magazine claims that "this is the adaptation we have been waiting for over a decade to see". The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review singles out Simhadri for praise saying: "[He] brings a lovely gentleness to Grover". SlashFilm, however, was unimpressed saying, "This show may yet win an audience, but feels like a somewhat dull echo of the film that preceded it by a decade."
Is 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' worth watching?
There is nothing exceptional in the series, much like the mediocrity of the movies. Considering the brilliance of the core material that's a bit disappointing. Fans will be split as usual, but a younger audience may find something to love in the show
MEAWW Watch ranking
3 out of 5
'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' trailer