Gather round gods, demigods, satyrs, and all other mythical creatures far and wide. Percy Jackson has finally come home to the hearths of Camp Half-Blood after a long and perilous journey into the land of bad, 2010s-era movies. And it’s already clear that his return will be the stuff of legend.
Disney+ has dropped its longest teaser yet for the upcoming Percy Jackson And The Olympians series—based on Rick Riordan’s beloved novels—and it certainly doesn’t disappoint.
Other than the impeccable and hilarious song choice, there probably won’t be all that much surprising content here, at least for long-time Riordan fans. But that’s a good thing! After those films, as well as so many other middling to terrible adaptations of beloved I.P. recently, it’s unbelievably comforting to be presented with a series that doesn’t try to subvert expectations and rather sets out to be the best possible version of itself.
If that is indeed showrunners Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz’s intention, they’re so far succeeding on just about every level. Not only is the trailer visually interesting, but, for this writer at least, a lot of the images seem directly sourced from readers’ brains. (This may have something to do with the fact that Riordan, after very publicly hating the Logan Lerman adaptations, was very closely involved in the new series’ production and even co-wrote the pilot.)
For those that haven’t engaged with the world of Camp Half-Blood since childhood (or at all), here’s a little refresher, per the show’s logline: “Percy Jackson and the Olympians tells the fantastical story of a 12-year-old modern demigod, Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell), who’s just coming to terms with his newfound divine powers when the sky god Zeus accuses him of stealing his master lightning bolt. With help from his friends Grover (Aryan Simhadri) and Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries), Percy must embark on an adventure of a lifetime to find it and restore order to Olympus.”
This teaser is a real hit parade from the first novel. We’ve got Megan Mullally as the shapeshifting Mrs. Dodds, capture the flag (demigod style, of course), Aunty Em’s Garden Emporium, Percy’s dive into the Mississippi river, the minotaur chase, even the Lotus Casino (no “Poker Face” here though, regrettably), and more. At long last, this adaptation is sure to make everyone—regardless of their ability to speak Ancient Greek or claim powerful parentage—feel magical.
Percy Jackson And The Olympians premieres December 20 on Disney+.