“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” Fans Rejoice as Disney+ Announces Premiere Date
After years of anticipation, fans of the beloved young adult novels “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” will finally see their favorite characters come to life on screen. Disney+ has announced that the highly-anticipated series will debut on December 20, with two episodes premiering and subsequent episodes releasing weekly.
The exciting news was unveiled in a teaser trailer for the project, which also gave fans their first glimpse of the actors portraying the iconic characters. Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries, and Aryan Simhadri will take on the roles of Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Grover Underwood, respectively.
The teaser begins with voiceover from Virginia Kull as Percy’s mother, Sally Jackson, confirming the existence of Greek gods and half-bloods. Viewers are treated to stunning visuals of Camp Half-Blood, Percy’s journey to Olympus, encounters with monsters, and a glimpse of Ares, portrayed by Adam Copeland. The trailer ends with Glynn Turman as Mr. Brunner aka Chiron, saying, “Percy Jackson. We’ve been expecting you.”
Season 1 of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” will be based on “The Lightning Thief,” the first book in the Percy Jackson series. The story follows 12-year-old Percy, who discovers that he is a demigod and must navigate his newfound powers. When Zeus accuses him of stealing his lightning bolt, Percy, along with his friends Annabeth and Grover, embarks on a quest to retrieve it and restore order to Olympus.
The star-studded cast includes Lin-Manuel Miranda, Megan Mullally, Toby Stephens, the late Lance Reddick, Jason Mantzoukas, Jay Duplass, Charlie Bushnell, Dior Goodjohn, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Olivea Morton, Suzanne Cryer, Timm Sharp, and Timothy Omundson.
Notably, author Rick Riordan, who penned the original “Percy Jackson” books, co-wrote the first two episodes alongside Jon Steinberg. They are also co-showrunning the series with Dan Shotz. The first two episodes were directed by James Bobin. The executive producers of the show include Riordan and his wife Rebecca Riordan, Steinberg, Shotz, Bobin, Bert Salke, Jim Rowe, Monica Owusu-Breen, Anders Engström, Jet Wilkinson, and the Gotham Group’s Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Jeremy Bell, and D.J. Goldberg.
Fans of the “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series can finally mark their calendars for December 20, when the long-awaited adaptation will make its debut on Disney+. With a talented cast and a team of dedicated producers, the show promises to bring the magic and adventure of the beloved books to life on the small screen.