‘Percy Jackson’ Stuns Critics, Ushers in New Era For Disney+

in Disney, Television

Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson entering Camp Half-Blood

Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson Credit: Disney+

Recently, The Walt Disney Company has become synonymous with a frequent reliance on reboots and remakes of their timeless stories. Examples include the recent 2023 reboot of The Little Mermaid featuring Halle Bailey, Guy Ritchie’s 2019 adaptation of Aladdin, and the Tom Hanks-led Pinocchio in 2022. Percy Jackson and the Olympians (2023) looks set to change all that.

The new remake is set to join the Disney lineup, with indications that this one may take a unique approach compared to the traditional Disney classic reboot.

Promo art for Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Credit: Disney+

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Set to make its debut on Disney+, the streaming platform owned by The Walt Disney Company, Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a Disney+ Original series adapting Rick Riordan’s cherished “Percy Jackson” book series. This marks a fresh new take on earlier iterations of the beloved story, scheduled to arrive on the platform on December 20, 2023.

Leah Sava Jeffries, Aryan Simhadri, and Walker Scobell looking quizzical in Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Credit: Disney+

The storyline kicks off at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met) and revolves around a young Percy Jackson’s unexpected hero’s journey. Ultimately, Percy joins Camp Half-Blood, a unique haven for young half-Olympians where they can cultivate and refine their divine abilities. These “half-bloods” are the offspring of powerful Greek gods such as Zeus and Poseidon from Mount Olympus, a revelation Percy discovers about himself.

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
Credit: 20th Century Studios, Disney+

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However, more widely recognized in the public consciousness is the film series produced by 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios), adapted from these books. It all began with Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010), an action fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus. Starring Logan Lerman as Percy Jackson and Alexandra Daddario as Annabeth Chase, the movie received mixed reviews. Its sequel, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013), failed to impress critics and led to the demise of the film franchise with Fox.

Now, with author Riordan involved, the Disney+ cast and crew have seemingly (finally) earned the favor of critics.

A Godly Disney+ Comeback?

Poster art for Percy Jackson and the Olympians, showing Walker Scobell kneeling on a beach
Credit: Disney+

Today, critic reviews are in for the Disney+ Original — and the reaction has been pretty stunning.

Review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes now boasts an astounding 97%, earning itself an official “Certified Fresh” rating, and described as:

A faithful adaptation of Rick Riordan’s novels, Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a lovingly realized odyssey through adolescence and myth.

Compared to the earlier live-action Percy Jackson titles, with The Lightning Thief sitting at 48% and sequel Sea of Monsters at 42%, this jump in score nearly doubles that of its predecessors.

Perhaps Disney has finally found a worthy niche to reboot successfully, rather than their tired, CGI-filled remakes of classic Disney animation.

The cast of Disney+'s Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Credit: Disney+

Turning their sights to bringing overlooked book franchises to life and investing in a bit of risk with an outside property seems to actually work. Allowing creators free reign and a means to fulfill their artistic vision also seems to pay off. There’s a lesson to be learned for Disney here, somewhere.

Are you excited to check out Percy Jackson and the Olympians? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Rick Riordan’s Greek mythology-centric series known as the “Percy Jackson” or “Camp Half-Blood Chronicles,” targeting middle-schoolers, commenced in 2005 with the debut of “The Lightning Thief.” Its success paved the way for subsequent installments: “Sea of Monsters” (2006), “The Titan’s Curse” (2007), “The Battle of the Labyrinth” (2008), and “The Last Olympian” (2009). Rick Riordan later expanded the universe with additional series like “The Heroes of Olympus” and “The Trials of Apollo.”

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