Percy Jackson and the Olympians looks even better than book fans could have hoped

The first official trailer for Percy Jackson and the Olympians is officially here, and it’s an incredible extended look at Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell), Annabeth Chase (Leah Sava Jeffries), Grover Underwood (Aryan Simhadri), Camp Half-Blood, and more.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians premieres on Disney+ on Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023. Fans can watch the first two episodes of the series, followed by one new episode each week. We shared the trailer, the episode schedule, and more.

Of all the new shows coming in 2023, Percy Jackson and the Olympians is the series I’m most excited to see for a few reasons. After watching the trailer, it’s better than I could have hoped. It looks and feels like Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson, and that’s so important. Throw in Disney’s deep pockets, epic VFX, and an incredible cast, Percy Jackson looks like one of the best new shows of the year.

I’m a huge fan of the Percy Jackson books. I read them when I was younger, and I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve read them even more as an adult. There’s so much potential with a series like this, and I feel like, finally, Riordan’s team has a partner in Disney that is willing to put in the extra effort and finances to make an incredibly successful series.

As far as trailers go, that’s an excellent preview of what’s to come in the first season of the series, which is based on the first book of Riordan’s series, The Lightning Thief. 

After Percy’s true identity is revealed, the young demigod finds a safe haven in Camp Half-Blood, one of the only safe places for demigods on Earth. Quickly, though, Percy learns the fate of Olympus is at stake and war is brewing over Zeus’s missing lightning bolt. Percy, Annabeth, and Grover are chosen to embark on the quest of a lifetime to save Olympus and the rest of the world.

Visually, the trailer is striking. The VFX, along with the practical effects, look incredible. Camp Halfblood feels like Camp Halfblood. I can’t accurately describe how excited I am to see this world brought to life and for millions of others to embrace Percy Jackson’s story.

It’s hard not to compare the series to The Lightning Thief and Sea of Monsters movies. Overall, I didn’t mind The Lightning Thief, although Sea of Monsters was awful. Disney’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians channels Riordan’s story in a much better way, and that’s clear from the trailer. It feels alive! There’s electricity in every clip. It looks epic!

Release schedule

Percy Jackson and the Olympians release date on Disney+ is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023. The first two episodes will be released on that date, followed by the remaining episodes of the first season.

Disney has not revealed the official schedule for Percy Jackson episodes just yet, but we’re expecting we’ll see the first two episodes released on Dec. 20 with one episode per week following.

So, the Percy Jackson and the Olympians release schedule will look like this:

• Episode 1: Wednesday, Dec. 20
• Episode 2: Wednesday, Dec. 20
• Episode 3: Wednesday, Dec. 27
• Episode 4: Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024
• Episode 5: Wednesday, Jan. 10
• Episode 6: Wednesday, Jan. 17
• Episode 7: Wednesday, Jan. 24
• Episode 8 (Season Finale): Wednesday, Jan. 31

Percy Jackson and the Olympians cast

Percy Jackson and the Olympians has one of the most stacked casts we’ve seen in a Disney+ series ever. Considering there are all the Marvel and Star Wars shows on Disney+, too, that’s saying something.

We shared the full Percy Jackson cast list:

• Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson
• Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth Chase
• Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood
• Virginia Kull as Sally Jackson
• Glynn Turman as Mr. Brunner/Chiron
• Jason Mantzoukas as Dionysus
• Charlie Bushnell as Luke Castellan
• Adam Copeland as Ares
• Timm Sharp as Gabe Ugliano
• Megan Mullaly as Ms. Dodds/Alecto
• Dior Goodjohn as Clarisse La Rue
• Toby Stephens as Poseidon
• Lance Reddick as Zeus
• Lin Manuel Miranda as Hermes
• Timothy Omundson as Hephaestus
• Jessica Parker Kennedy as Medusa
• Suzanne Cryer as Echidna
• Jay Duplass as Hades
• Olivea Morton as Nancy Bobofit
• Jason Grey-Stanford
• Jennifer Shirley as The Oracle

Unfortunately, we won’t see Lance Reddick return as Zeus if the series is renewed for season 2. Reddick died in 2023 after filming the first season of Percy Jackson.

We’re expecting Disney to announce more cast members as we get closer to the season premiere, so stay tuned.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians synopsis

We shared the official synopsis for Percy Jackson and the Olympians, via Disney.

"Based on Disney Hyperion’s best-selling book series by award-winning author Rick Riordan, “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” tells the fantastical story of a 12-year-old modern demigod, Percy Jackson, 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 and Annabeth, Percy must embark on an adventure of a lifetime to find it and restore order to Olympus."

We’re expecting the first season of Percy Jackson to cover the events of The Lightning Thief, but it’s possible it could pull inspiration and storylines from any of the five Percy Jackson and the Olympians books by Rick Riordan. The trailer seems to hint at some things from other books in the first season, so we’ll see!

Percy Jackson and the Olympians books in order

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is based on Rick Riordan’s best-selling book series of the same name. There are five books in the first Percy Jackson series, although the story of the Demigods continues in Riordan’s other five-book series, The Heroes of Olympus.

We shared the list of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians books in order.

• The Lightning Thief 
• The Sea of Monsters 
• The Titan’s Curse
• The Battle of the Labyrinth 
• The Last Olympian 

Who is making Percy Jackson and the Olympians?

One of the big things that Percy Jackson fans were worried about the new series was who would be making it. Would Rick Riordan be involved? What would it look like? Well, it’s safe to say that Percy Jackson and the Olympians is in good hands.

Riordan is an executive producer, along with Rebecca Riordan, Dan Shotz, Jonathan Steinberg, Jeremy Bell, D.J. Goldberg, James Bobin, Jim Rowe, Monica Owusu-Breen, Anders Engström, Jet Wilkinson, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, and Bert Salke.

Riordan and Steinberg wrote the first two episodes of the series. James Bobin will direct those two episodes. Beyond that, we don’t know who is writing and directing, but we’ll find out soon.

Percy Jackson season 2 is already in the works

There have been rumors about Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 2 for a while. According to reports from Collider, Riordan claimed that the scripts for season 2 were already being written this spring. Later, TheDirect reported that Steinberg will be the showrunner for Percy Jackson season 2.

So, although Disney has yet to confirm the season 2 renewal, the fact that it’s already in the works is good news. It should be noted that right now, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) is currently on strike, so Percy Jackson season 2 likely is not being worked on right now. It’s unclear if scripts were finished prior to the strike.

Disney has not announced how many seasons Percy Jackson and the Olympians will be, but don’t be discouraged, demigods. It sounds like the plan is to make the series a five-season show, which would likely account for each of the five books getting adapted on Disney+.

When casting was getting started, Riordan mentioned on his blog that they were looking for someone young enough to play the role for five seasons.

"“That allows for a range in the actual age of the actor, but the goal is to stay true to the original story and have Percy’s character age from 12 to 16 over the course of the TV series, assuming, of course, we are lucky enough to make all five seasons. That will depend on viewership on Disney+, which is where all of you can help!”"

That’s what we know about Percy Jackson and the Olympians so far!