Disney recently released its TV series adaptation of Rick Riordan’s popular book series Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Starring Walker Scobell, Leah Jeffries, and Aryan Simhadri in lead roles, the series has released three episodes and has been receiving positive reviews. The Disney+ series is praised for its cast’s performances and faithfulness to the source material. However, it is not the first adaptation of the fantasy novel series.
Filmmaker Chris Columbus released his Percy Jackson film adaptation in 2010, later followed by a sequel in 2013. However, the movies were heavily criticized for straying away from their source material. It also resulted in one of the highly criticized aspects concerning the movie’s lead characters, portrayed by Alexandra Daddario and Logan Lerman.
One of the Biggest Flaws in the Film Adaptation of Percy Jackson
The 2010 film Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief introduced Logan Lerman and Alexandra Daddario as Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase. Although many praised Logan’s performance in the movie, fans did not hesitate to point out the makers’ lack of understanding of the source material.
One of the highly criticized aspects of the movie was casting older actors to play the lead characters and how it explores the relationship between Percy and Annabeth. The book series introduces these two characters as 12 years old.
Their relationship develops gradually, starting with a beautiful friendship that evolves into a profound connection over the years. The film adaptation, however, accelerates this dynamic of their relationship too quickly.
It has also been speculated that the makers cast older actors as they wanted to dive into Percy and Annabeth’s romance earlier in the storyline. However, many claim that despite their best efforts, the movies failed to capture the essence of Percy and Annabeth’s relationship meaningfully.
Read More: Devastating DCU Zatanna Update Leaves Alexandra Daddario Fans Stunned
Percy Jackson TV Series Steers Clear of Movie Adaptation Pitfalls
The Disney+ series Percy Jackson and the Olympians has released only three episodes, and it has already been deemed superior to the film series. The movies included several things apart from its cast and their character treatment.
The film adaptations have been criticized for leaving out important characters like Ares and Clarrise and significant elements in the story like Camp Half-Blood. However, unlike the movies, the TV series follows its protagonist as a preteen, and the chemistry between the lead cast is also praised by many.
It also explores events that the movies avoided, including Camp Half-Blood, and includes characters like Ares, who is set to be portrayed by Adam Copeland. Its first episode has now become the top five most-watched season premieres of 2023 on Disney and Hulu with 13.3 million viewers tuning in during its first six days on the streaming services.
The Percy Jackson film series and Percy Jackson and the Olympians are available to stream on Disney+.
