The Percy Jackson novels, a series of fantasy adventures written by Rick Riordan, became overnight sensations with young adults. Riordan’s modern take on Greek mythology involving a teenaged protagonist and his friends, naturally lent itself to being envisioned for the big screen. The film adaptation starred Logan Lerman as Percy Jackson and Alexandra Daddario as Annabeth Chase.
Unfortunately, the film and its sequel did not find much favor with audiences and critics across the world. One of the reasons for the narrative failing to connect with fans, was the lack of adherence to certain important aspects in the novels. A key blunder involving the friendship and romance between Lerman’s Percy and Daddario’s Annabeth, stood out like a sore thumb.
Alexandra Daddario’s On-Screen Romance In The Percy Jackson Films Was Unconvincing
Apart from the interesting blend of old and new concepts, the Percy Jackson novels impressed young adults for the beautiful development in the relationship between the two protagonists played by Alexandra Daddario and Logan Lerman. While the two stars shared good chemistry as Annabeth and Percy, fans were critical of the way their romance blossomed on screen.
In the novels, Percy and Annabeth begin their relationship as friends who also annoy and fight with each other from the age of 12. Gradually, their friendship turns into a romance organically, as they grow up over the course of the novels. The films though, did not adhere to this timeline.
Firstly, by casting older actors like Daddario and Lerman, the script changed their ages from 12 to 16 years old. The bigger mistake that audiences were displeased with though, was the hurried romance that was created between the two characters. This therefore, did not give viewers a chance to see the relationship grow from friendship to love which Riordan did so well in the books.
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Alexandra Daddario On The Pressures Of Portraying Annabeth Chase
Before becoming a heartthrob of many with her presence in Baywatch and The White Lotus, Alexandra Daddario’s big movie break came with the first Percy Jackson film. The talented star played the role of Percy’s friend and eventual love interest Annabeth Chase.
While Daddario’s performance gave her the recognition to step into Hollywood’s big stage, the celebrity revealed that she did go through some self-doubt about doing justice to a role that was made famous through Rick Riordan’s novels. In an interview with Cinema Blend, she said,
“Of course, you’ll always have people who think something is supposed to be this or that way, so you just have to go in with good intentions and try to bring life to the character.”
Daddario went on to state that kids were the perfect fans owing to their non-judgmental nature and their wholehearted love towards the characters they had read about. This in turn, allowed them to accept her with open arms.
Source: Screen Rant
