Thomas Storai 
“Percy Jackson and the Olympians is off to a fantastic start. The series takes its time to properly develop the story and the characters. This one is a faithful adaptation of the original novel! Walker Scobell is amazing as Percy Jackson, he was the right choice for the role. And Leah Jeffries is equally as good as Annabeth.”
After a few years of development, fans will finally be able to experience the new adaption of the popular novel series Percy Jackson! Unlike the film adaptation with Logan Lerman, the author Rick Riordan was heavily involved in the making of this series, promising fans to give them a faithful adaptation. Percy Jackson and the Olympians premieres with 2 episodes on December 20 with subsequent episodes airing each Wednesday on Disney Plus.
THE PREMISE
Percy Jackson and the Olympians tells the story Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell), a kid who feels out of place in this world. His life changes when he discovers that he is a demigod. Sheltered at the Camp Half-Blood, a sanctuary for demigod children, he must prove himself and confront his origins. With the help of Annabeth (Leah Jeffries) and Grover (Aryan Simhadri), Percy goes a dangerous journey outrunning monsters and outwitting gods.
STORY
People of my generation clearly know the Percy Jackson novels and we have seen the films. As everyone knows, even though the talented Logan Lerman was in them, the films were terrible adaptations of the books. It was to the point that Rick Riordan publicly criticized them. And this definitely left a bad taste in our mouth for future adaptations of this story. Thankfully, this series gave us a lot of hope as Riordan himself was involved as an executive producer, working on the casting and even writing the teleplays for some of the episodes. Needless to say, Percy Jackson and the Olympians is not a disappointment. The first season is adapting the first book The Lightning Thief.
This time, it is a faithful adaption of the novel. Obviously, since it is a series it takes its time to properly develop the story and its characters. It doesn’t rush anything. The first episode is all about introducing Percy Jackson to the audience, getting to know him and getting to know his life. His ADHD and dyslexia is addressed in a meaningful way. While the second episode expands Percy’s world and does exciting worldbuilding. It also moves the story further and introduces more characters. These two episodes set the stage for the rest of the season. It is a compelling story that is at the same time fun and touching with a great sense of adventure. Undoubtedly, the series is off to a fantastic start with its 2-premiere episodes.
CAST
Furthermore, this series has a fantastic cast. First of all, the actor chosen for Percy Jackson is actually around the same age of the character, unlike in the films where the cast was already too old to play the characters. For fans of the books, this is appreciated. When you have the author himself working on the project, you know there is obviously a lot more care put into the making of series. Walker Scobell is amazing as Percy Jackson, he was the right choice for the role. He brings depth to his performance making us feel what Percy feels. Scobell really embodies the character. Leah Jeffries as Annabeth is equally as good. She knows her character and it shows through her performance. She is our Annabeth. And Aryan Simhadri is also a convincing Grover.
Jason Mantzoukas is definitely a standout among the secondary cast. He brings the right wit for Dionysus. It’s a lot of fun to see him play this character. Glynn Turman is great as Chiron too. He has this reassuring presence. And the tone in his voice is one of a teacher you would want to have.
VISUALS & SOUNDTRACK
Moreover, Percy Jackson has stunning visual effects with the mythical creatures like the Minotaur or Chiron the centaur feeling like they’re actually part of this world. They look quite realistic. On top of that, the design of the Camp Half-Blood and the costumes, they all feel like directly coming out of the books. When you see the scenes at Camp Half-Blood, you want to be there with the characters because it’s clearly an awesome place.
Finally, the themes of the series were composed by Bear McCreary while the rest of the music was done by his label Sparks & Shadows. You can definitely recognize his style that is fitting for fantasy stories. He has composed themes that really stick for this series. When you hear his music, you immediately know you are in a fantasy world. There’s a sense of adventure that transports you into the world of Percy Jackson.
The series feature a really cool end credits. It’s halfway between a stained glass and a painting in movement. I think it’s definitely an end credits you will want to watch and not skip for each episode. Firstly, it is a beautifully designed credits. Secondly, you get to hear McCreary’s musical theme on its own, which is so worth it.
VERDICT
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is off to a fantastic start. The series takes its time to properly develop the story and the characters. This one is a faithful adaptation of the original novel! Walker Scobell is amazing as Percy Jackson, he was the right choice for the role. And Leah Jeffries is equally as good as Annabeth.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians premieres December 20 on Disney Plus.
Collectables and Anime Editor for Future Of The Force.
Star Wars expert and Japan connoisseur.
