Hope you’ve brushed up on your Ancient Greek, because Percy Jackson is back and better than ever.
Nearly 17 years after the release of The Lightning Thief, the world of Percy Jackson and the Olympians has arrived on Disney+. The series stars Walker Scobell as the title character, Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth Chase, and Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood.
Rick Riordan, the author of the acclaimed book series, played a massive role in the development of the show, including casting, and it shows. Each of the actors embodies their characters so well.
Scobell shines as the lead of the show. He is perfect for the role of Percy Jackson. Percy Jackson is meant to be funny, sarcastic, and fiercely loyal. Scobell plays him just as he was in the books. Many online have said it’s as if Scobell was pulled from the pages.
Despite racist backlash, Jeffries proves that she is the perfect Annabeth. She does an amazing job portraying the wise, feisty character that fans have loved for years. Simhadri also does a wonderful job as Percy’s best friend, sticking to the original character’s supportiveness and awkwardness.
One of the things a lot of fans have an issue with is the changes Riordan made. I, however, think that the changes made are amazing. The show honors the original story while bringing it into today’s media culture.
My favorite part of the show was the set design. Camp Half-Blood felt like it was pulled straight from the book. It has a cozy, whimsical feeling that will delight fans. Olympus absolutely blew me away. It reminded me a bit of Cloud City from Star Wars, only much more majestic. It was spectacular.
Despite concerns held by many fans that this show would not do the original story justice, the show is massively popular and it deserves all of the hype it gets. It’s a fun, nostalgic adventure that new and old fans will love.
