Last year, Disney+ announced they would be giving Percy Jackson and the Olympians a second chance at an adaptation. So far, most fans have been beyond excited, and author Rick Riordan’s close involvement with the show sounds promising!
This upcoming show already has the potential to win the hearts of avid fans and first-time audiences, as long as the most major elements of the series are kept in the show.
The Spirit of the Books
One of the most charming things about the Percy Jackson series is its iconic humor! Percy’s sarcastic narration and comical mishaps really help to bring the reader along on the journey. But that’s not all the series is known for, of course.
Overall, every Percy Jackson book feels special because of how cohesive every major aspect feels. The characters and their stories fit so well with the plot, and it all comes together to make for a highly fun and fast series.
In trying to capture the original spirit of the books, the show could make sure to include some humor while also showing how real the characters and their personal journeys can be. The Percy Jackson books are magical due to their blend of fun adventures, mythical stories, and characters you can root for, so hopefully the show can balance these well.
Heartfelt Character Interactions
This is something the films didn’t do very well, but now that Riordan is on board, the characters will likely see a huge upgrade!
The main characters in the books — especially Percy, Annabeth, and Grover — go through many perilous obstacles together, but their occasional heart-to-hearts are also massively important. These wholesome friendship moments are crucial, as they help the audience understand who these characters are, and add more depth to the characters as the overall series plot continues.
The television series format will be perfect for these kinds of moments, since it will allow for crucial action and friendship scenes to be included in the spotlight.
More Greek Myths, Please!
Of course, Greek mythology is firmly implemented as the backbone of this series, but the films managed to include less myths than the books themselves.
Although the books are not completely accurate to historical Greek mythology (the story takes place in modern-day United States, after all!), Riordan did a great job of including the names and background of mythical figures throughout all of the books. Many readers were inspired to research more about Greek myths during and after reading the books, and any kind of additional learning should always be encouraged!
Ideally, the show would not only include dialogue explaining the mythical characters and their backgrounds, but it would also add a wide variety of lesser-known Greek myths, so that even the most avid fans can still learn a thing or two while watching.
Great Character Arcs
While the main friendships are great on the page, the individual characters and their personal struggles are just as important to the audience.
Character development throughout the show must be handled with care. We all love Percy and his friends already, but it would also be fantastic to see small moments that allow the audience to care about these characters as young individuals just trying to find their way in the world while also trying to save it.
The character arcs in the original Percy Jackson books are great, because readers can really grow with the characters as they struggle to find themselves, and Percy’s character is especially lovable. Hopefully, the show will be able to nicely showcase character personalities in a way that really keeps viewers coming back for more, while also allowing them to relate to Percy and his story.