Percy Jackson proves it’s no Greek tragedy as the storming Disney Plus show gets a season 2 renewal
Rick Riordan, creator of the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series, has a message for fans of the books and the show: “Hoist the anchors. Hoist the mainsail. All hands on deck, demigods. We’re heading for the Sea of Monsters!” It’s a nice way to confirm that season two Percy Jackson and the Olympians has been greenlit by Disney Plus, and Riordan can’t wait for you to see it.
The news isn’t a huge surprise as the first season received high ratings on the top streaming service and rave reviews. But it was still a Star Wars-scale bet from the streamer, and that means it must have been a squeaky bad time for the show’s creators when the first episode aired. However, the show is a huge hit: according to Disney boss Bob Iger, the first season has already been streamed for more than 110 million hours on Disney Plus and Hulu.
Percy Jackson season 2: what we know so far
So far, we don’t really know much — but Walter Scobell, who plays the title role of Jackson, teased everyone a bit last month by saying, “I hope we’re in the sun a lot, so that’s not me.” transparent more! I suspect that because we’re outside a lot, we’ll probably be on location more. So it will be nice to be there and be close to the water, be outside and touch grass.”
Scobell returns as the teenage Jackson, a young man who also happens to be a modern-day demigod. In the first season, he tried to deal with the whole superpower thing, while also upsetting the sky god Zeus, who accused him of stealing the god’s master lightning bolt. Together with his friends Annabeth and Grover, Jackson set off on a pan-American trek to find the Thunderbolt and save Olympus.
The first season currently sits at 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and has many good reviews. It may not be much new, but it is a fun and entertaining epic. According to rich: “With a charming central trio, an intriguing quest, and plenty of magical moments, this faithful reboot is a fun (if familiar) family-friendly fantasy.”
It’s also a special win for younger children, says the Sydney Morning Heraldwhose Craig Mathieson says that “what I like most about this adaptation of the first novel in Rick Riordan’s best-selling fantasy series is that it speaks to the audience the books were written for: younger elementary school students”.
Many reviewers thought it was a better film adaptation than the film version by Zack Kram The bell and Lauren Coates of the Chicago Reader both referenced the film, with Coates saying “It remains imperfect, but this Disney Plus adaptation is aimed much more at dedicated fans than the 2010 film” and Kram saying much the same: “The new series isn’t flawless, but it does Much more justice to Rick Riordan’s YA novels than the failed film version.” And Robert Lloyd from the LA times loved it. “Percy Jackson is witty without diminishing the emotional gravity of the material and beautifully blends the extraordinary and ordinary worlds,” he says.
It seems like Disney has found a winning formula here, and that means our expectations for the second season are high: if any show can catch lightning twice, it’s this one.