After fans endured almost three years of waiting, “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” was fully released on Disney+. The show is based off of the namesake book series, written by Rick Riordan, which currently has 21 books. The first season of the show is structured around the first novel of the series: “The Lighting Thief”.
The first season of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” totalled eight episodes, and introduced viewers to a variety of Greek gods and heroes. The first two episodes of the series were released on Dec. 19, 2023. From then on, new episodes were released on Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. CT through Jan. 30, 2024.
As production of the show began in June 2022, “Variety” reported that each episode cost around $12-15 million to produce. Disney declined to comment on these figures, though the expected budget puts the show on par with Disney’s Star Wars series “The Mandalorian”.
The show was well received by critics and audiences alike, earning a 92% rating on the Rotten Tomatoes “Tomatometer” and praise from fans online. While some were critical of the casting, claiming it opposes the novels’ physical descriptions of characters, most came to the agreement that the cast members embody their respective roles.
Main character, Percy Jackson, is played by 15 year-old Walker Scobell. Prior to the show, fans were skeptical of his casting due to the lack of features he and the character shared. However, Scobell’s skills completely outshined the skepticism and he proved himself to be an amazing Percy.
In addition, actors Leah Jeffries and Aryan Simhadri who play characters Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood respectively, are also excelling onscreen. Many viewers have praised the casting, claiming that the actors may as well have fallen out of the books and into the show.
Interviews and behind the scenes clips have shown viewers just how much each actor cares for their character and how important an accurate representation of their character is to them.
“My audition process was a lot of auditions,” Jeffries said in “A Hero’s Journey Exclusive”. “I started off … like flirting with [Walker], with like, ‘I like your sword. Oh my gosh.’”
Due to its popularity, a season two renewal was announced on Feb. 7. While they wait, fans can watch the behind the scenes documentary called “A Hero’s Journey: The Making of Percy Jackson and the Olympians”, and a multitude of cast interviews to tide them over.
“Raise anchors. Hoist the mainsail. All hands on deck, demigods. We’re heading for the sea of monsters,” Riordan said via social platforms on Feb. 8.
