Rick Riordan The Percy Jackson films didn’t particularly impress him. But the author returns to some of the problems with these two functions.
Based on the Percy Jackson series of novels written by Riordan. Percy Jackson and the Olympians – The Lightning Thief this is a 2010 film. Then there was a continuation Percy Jackson and the Olympians – Sea of Monstersin 2013. The films grossed $227 million and $202 million, respectively. Below the expectations of the studio, which had hoped the franchise would become the next Harry Potter in terms of film revenue. Reflecting on the films in a recent interview, Riordan talks about what didn’t work in the original live-action adaptations.
What didn’t work out in the movie?
According to Riordan, one of the “fundamental mistakes” made was that casting choice. Having the characters play older versions of themselves created a sort of distance from the audience. Percy played in the first film Logan Lerman17 years old, while Alexandra Daddario23 years old and Brandon T. JacksonThe 25-year-old actor played Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood, respectively. Riordan wanted to rectify this with the upcoming Disney+ series, since the actor who plays Percy Jackson is 14 years old, while Leah Save Jeffries (Annabeth) and Ariana Simhadri (Grover) are 14 and 17 years old, respectively.
“Now, having experienced the production process, I understand why they made this choice. It’s much easier to work with older actors.” Here’s what Riordan had to say about why these changes happened. “But when you have older teenagers, the dynamic is completely different. You’re missing out on much of the wonder. The magic of adolescence manifests itself in a different way. There’s a kind of bored teenage quality to it.”
In addition to the cast, Riordan also touched on how movies may not have been the best way to adapt Percy Jackson at first. After Riordan joined the new adaptation as executive producer, he struggled to make the adaptation cohesive. series and not another attempt at creating a film franchise. He noted: “I’ve always felt that television was the best format for Percy because it allows us to have a wider canvas to tell more of the story. And be more faithful to the source material, which is something fans of the books would really like to see.”
According to Rick Riordan, the new cast of Percy Jackson is perfect.
Riordan believes that all members of the new line-up are “perfect.” This is despite the fact that they don’t look exactly like they were described in the original books. ABOUT ScobellRiordan noted, “Did I care that her hair was a different color than what was described in the book? Never. He just looked like Percy.” About Grover SimhadriRiordan also added: “Does he look exactly like how I describe him in the book? No, but that doesn’t matter.”
“Leah made an impression on me from the moment I met her. She has a determination that makes her seem like a leader, but there is also a certain vulnerability about her,” the author continued. Jeffries. “Again, is she like Annabeth as described in the books? No. Was it important to me? No. If anything, expanding the lineup in terms of representation was a huge benefit.”
Percy Jackson and the Olympians Debuts on Disney+ December 20, 2023. Two films, Percy Jackson & the Olympians – The Lightning Thief and Percy Jackson & the Olympians – Sea of Monsters, are currently available to watch on the streaming platform.