The “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” book series is one of the best-selling series of all time, with more than 180 million copies sold worldwide as of January 2022. Fans (including myself) have been waiting for a good adaptation for years, so after the TV show was announced in May of 2020, they were elated. Now filming is finished, and a release date has been set, and it’s closer than ever to being a reality. 

Now, the Percy Jackson books-a series following young demigod named Percy Jackson as he fights ancient greek monsters and deities- have actually been adapted to film before, but recall how I said that fans have been waiting for a “good” adaptation for years. The Percy Jackson movies (either referred to as the “Perry Johnson” movies, or not referred to at all by most of the fandom) were not well received. Many loved Logan Lerman in the role of Percy, but he was a few years too old– everyone was. However, the casting is probably the least of people’s concerns with the movies. Most people are upset by the extreme inaccuracy and disloyalty to the books, in an attempt to appeal more to teen audiences, and the fans weren’t the only ones disturbed. The author of the series, Rick Riordan, wrote several strongly worded letters to the producers warning that these movies would fail, but they didn’t listen. No one was surprised when they lost funding after only the second movie.This TV series is another story.

After the company that made the movies ( and owned the rights to adaptation of the books), 20th Century Fox, was bought by Disney, there was hope for another try. What many fans were most pleased about was the fact that Riordan was working closely with the producers, and had a say in almost every aspect of the production. This includes the somewhat controversial casting of the main trio, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover (played by Walker Scobell, Leah Jeffries, and Aryan Simhadri, respectively). Some fans are upset that the actors cast are inaccurate to the book characters, with the “wrong” hair color, eye color, or ethnicity. However, most fans have no problem with the casting, because Riordan constantly praises their excellent work and portrayal of the characters. According to The Holleywood reporter, the author also said that what they looked for most in the casting process was actors who inhabited the personality of the character, and that physical appearance was secondary.

For many of the fans, the Percy Jackson books have been a huge part of their childhoods and lives. Hayden Ewing (Grade 12), a long-time Percy Jackson fan said “I’m very excited! I grew up reading these books and absolutely hating the movies. I am so excited to see all my favorite childhood characters in a way that will actually portray them truly!” and I think that his statement speaks for itself, and is a view that is shared by most of the older fans, like myself.

But long-time fans aren’t the only ones who can’t wait, Charity Ockander, who hasn’t read any of the series, is very happy about the show coming out. She says that she “watches more movies than reads books, and it seems interesting”. She has also seen the trailer and says that it “looks very high quality”. Thanks to this adaptation, many people who have been interested in the story, but don’t enjoy or have difficulty reading will finally be able to meet the much-loved characters and experience the thrilling story. Percy Jackson will be available to wider audiences than ever before.

“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” will be airing on Disney+ on December 20th, 2023. Whether you are a long time fan or hearing about it for the first time now, make sure that you check out this new twist on a series that has proven to be a staple of our generation.