On December 20th, Mythology fans around the globe put on their orange camp half-blood shirts and returned to the world of Percy Jackson. 13 years later from the original movies played by Logan Lerman, Walker Scobell revamps this loveable character with his enthusiastic charm and kid-ish humor.
The long overdue series follows 12-year-old Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell) as he navigates his new-found powers after Zeus (Lance Reddick) accuses him of stealing the master lightning bolt. With the help of his friends Annabeth (Leah Jeffries) and Grover (Aryan Simhadri), he must restore order to Olympus.
As the series opens, we see Percy out in the rain looking at someone or thing in the distance. He recites the famous lines from the books starting with “Look, I didn’t want to be a Half-Blood”, as snippets of the show flash on screen, leaving us in wonder.
Fans of the book will be relieved that the actors portray the characters correctly -unlike the movies which aged them up with Walker and Leah now 14, and Aryan 17.
The show has a total of 8 episodes, the first two premiered on December 20th, and they are released every Wednesday at midnight.
They explore all the little details from the books, thanks to the episode format. Scenes that were cut from the books will appear for the first time on the show, allowing more character depth.
Terrific well-known actors like Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hermes), Jason Mantzoukas (Dionysis), and Megan Mullally (Mrs.Dodds) bring a comedic factor that all ages will enjoy.
I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store for Percy as he starts his adventure to retrieve the lightning bolt, as some scenes are different from the books, like the way Percy finds out he’s a Demigod and sees Grover’s hooves, as well as some of the capture the flag scenes.
One of the famous scenes from the first book is when Percy discovers who his Godly parent is after his fight with Annabeth during a game of capture the flag. Scobell had to learn swordsmanship on the fly, just like his character does in the series.
This scene is touched upon perfectly, the shot being filmed with Percy standing in a beautiful lake in Vancouver, the mountains behind him, and Posieden’s trident looming over his head.
A major key to making the series was to make all the sets instead of using a green screen. James Bobin -who directed the first two episodes- wanted it to feel “slightly timeless” without looking too futuristic. The well-thought-out details -the armor inspired by the 2nd century A.D. Greeks, or the hand-built cabins in the middle of the woods- produce cinematography that the movies couldn’t.
Scobell delivers spot-on acting to what many envisioned Percy would be: shy, high voice, impulsive, clumsy, and curious. He is a stand-out performer that will take this next generation by storm, with his loveable charm and wits.
He is always looking for ways to improve in acting, as he continuously rereads the books and talks with Rick Roidan on set every day. The responsibility of being a fan of the series allows him to be the best he can be for all the other PJO fans, and to help bring the series to life.
Logan Lerman has acknowledged Walker’s talent many times, but my favorite is his celebratory send-off during the NYC Comic-Con panel.
Lerman compliments Scobell by saying, “I can’t imagine a better fit for Percy Jackson than Walker, you were brilliant in The Adam Project… Hope you like eating blue foods for the next few years because I think you have a hit show on your hands” referencing the connection of the color blue.
Now streaming on Disney+, it currently has a 97% critic rating, hopefully leading to a second season as there are 5 other books in the series, including the most recent adaptation: The Chalice of the Gods.
