Disney+ banks on epic "Percy Jackson" series as trailer storms past 84 million views

Directed by James Bobin, known for "Muppets" and "Alice Through the Looking Glass", the series is based on the seven-book saga by Rick Riordan. This isn't the first time a screen adaptation has been attempted for the adventures of Poseidon's descendant. Two films were made about the hero in 2010 and 2013: Chris Columbus's "Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" and Thor Freudenthal's "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters". In both films, the lead role was played by Logan Lerman ("Noah: Chosen by God"), and he was joined by actress Alexandra Daddario from the first season of "White Lotus".

While these movies did not garner high acclaim - both scoring just a shade over 40% on Rotten Tomatoes' "freshness" indicator and a modest 50-plus percent from audience views - the story of the young demigod holds considerable promise. This potential led Disney+ to take a chance on reviving the tale, and judging by the impressive audience interest, it seems they have made a wise decision.

According to Deadline, the trailer for the new series, soon to be featured on streaming services, garnered over 84 million views in just 10 days with 1.8 million reactions. As reported by ListenFirst, the production currently ranks second in the video ranking across Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and Service X. The hashtag "#percyjackson" amassed 45 million views on TikTok in the United States over the past week.

The series will shed light on a modern-day 12-year-old demigod, Percy Jackson, trying to grasp his newly discovered divine powers. While doing so, he comes under the accusation of Zeus, the sky god, for stealing his master lightning bolt. Percy, with support from his friend, sets off on a quest across America to restore peace on Olympus and avert a war among the gods.

In this new adaptation, the lead role of Percy will be played by 14-year-old Walker Scobell ("Project Adam"), alongside Aryan Simhadri ("The Sleepover") who would portray Grover Underwood and Leah Jeffries ("The Beast") as Annabeth Chase. The series will be directed by James Bobin, with the script penned by Jonathan E. Steinberg ("Jericho", "The Old Man" with Jeff Bridges) and book author Rick Riordan. Cinematography is being handled by Pierre Gill ("The Song of the Elephant").

The series "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" premieres on the Disney+ platform on Wednesday, December 20, 2023, with new episodes releasing weekly thereafter.