One of the biggest fan-favorite novel series of all time, Percy Jackson gained worldwide acclamation from the young readers. Set in the world of demigods and monsters at war with each other, the book series soon went on to get adapted into a fantasy/adventure movie series. However, they failed to capture the true magic of the novel series, and thus, faced a massive defeat among fans.
But now, after more than a decade since the first film adaptation, another book-based project has been brought forward in the form of the series, Percy Jackson & the Olympians. And fortunately, this time, the project has been performing much, much better than the Alexandra Daddario starrer atrocious sequels, all thanks to one Brooklyn Nine-Nine star: Jason Mantzoukas.
The Percy Jackson Franchise Has Finally Been Redeemed!
When the book-based film series initially came forward starring Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, and Brandon T. Jackson in prominent roles as the titular protagonist, Annabeth Chase, and Grover Underwood respectively, it wasn’t received all too well by fans.
However, the currently ongoing Disney+ series Percy Jackson & the Olympians has garnered a much better reception from fans, with major credit for it going to the creators’ decision to cast Jason Mantzoukas as the Greek God, Dionysus.
Not only do fans believe that this casting for the character is even better and much more impressive than the original character in the books, but they also find the Brooklyn Nine-Nine star to be adding whole new and fresh layers to the source material.
Further making Mantzoukas the perfect choice for the role is his exceptional humor and engaging personality, which makes his bringing to life Camp Half-Blood’s director and Greek god of wine and festivals an even more entertaining watch.
As compared to Mr. D in the novel series, Jason Mantzoukas‘ unmatched energy and sympathetic persona have made him even more likable than the character in the book series, making the series all the more appealing as a whole.
Then there are the main characters in Percy Jackson & the Olympians, i.e. Walker Scobell as the titular character, Leah Jeffries as Annabeth Chase, and Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood, whose remarkable performances are making the series all the more delightful.
Also Read: Percy Jackson & The Olympians Episode 2 SPOILER Recap/Review: I Become Supreme Lord of the Bathroom
Why The Percy Jackson Film Series Failed Among Fans
Though it might seem a surprise, the Percy Jackson film series grossed considerably above their budget: While the first film brought in $226 million on its budget of $95 million, the sequel couldn’t go that high as it landed on only $202 million on a $90 million budget.
Nonetheless, they failed among the fans for reasons all too understandable. First off, one major reason why it was created in the first place was because of the tremendous success the Harry Potter film series was getting and the studios were “buying up any book that had three kids chasing monsters”, as screenwriter Craig Titley shared (via Variety).
Furthermore, the massive budget constraints that they faced thanks to the then-co-chairman of 20th Century Fox, Tom Rothman’s notoriety for “doing movies on the cheap” proved some serious problems with some of the first book’s most climactic moments.
Thus, even though the Percy Jackson film series tried really, really hard to stick to the source material and provide fans with the most epic watching experience, they inevitably ended up losing among fans even after bringing in more than enough.
