Disney Plus' big end-of-2023 release was Percy Jackson and The Olympians, a fresh take on Rick Riordan's beloved Greek mythology-inspired fantasy franchise.
Fans of Riordan's books were elated by the news coming out of Disney’s annual D23 event when the series was first announced. While the young-adult book series had been previously adapted into two feature films in 2010 and 2013, neither was particularly well-received.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians, however, has been very different. Early reactions to the series were positive, with praise, in particular, going to the Percy Jackson and the Olympians cast. And even though the series made some changes along the way, the first instalment has been a far more successful take on the franchise. And we can relax, now, as a second season has officially been confirmed!
Here's everything you need to know about Percy Jackson and The Olympians.
Is Percy Jackson and The Olympians season 2 on the cards?
Yes! Disney confirmed on February 8, 2024 that Percy Jackson and The Olympians would be returning for a second outing.
The upcoming season will, predictably, draw from The Seas of Monsters, the second Percy Jackson book. And we know that Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries, and Aryan Simhadri will all reprise their roles of Percy, Annabeth and Grover.
“Rich in magic, wonder, adventure, and heart, ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ captivated the imaginations of viewers of all ages everywhere,” said Ayo Davis, president, Disney Branded Television. “We’re thrilled to embark on an exciting new quest and a season two with Rick Riordan, our fantastic partners at 20th Television, and the exceptional ensemble of cast and creative talent that bring this story to life.”
Author Riordan added: “I can’t wait to bring the next season of Percy Jackson to Disney+! Raise anchors. Hoist the mainsail. All hands on deck, demigods. We’re heading for the Sea of Monsters!”
The series has clearly been a big hit for the streamer, as Disney confirmed in the reneweal announcement that the first season had been streamed for over 110 million hours (based on internal data).
We already suspected the show would make a comeback, anyway, especially since the series teased a new adventure in its finale. About a year after the Disney adaptation was announced, Rick Riordan revealed on his blog that they'd started work on the writers' room for a second season.
At the time, he stressed that that did not mean a second season had been greenlit, writing: "Meanwhile, we have started work on the writers’ room for season two. This does NOT mean the second season has been green-lit yet. It’s too early for that. But we have been approved to start developing scripts, and I think everyone’s expectation is that a second season will happen if all goes as planned."
As you might expect, the plan for Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 2 is to adapt the second Percy Jackson book, The Sea of Monsters, and Riordan teased they had 'big plans' for what to do, if the first season was popular enough.
"My usual disclaimer: This is all HYPOTHETICAL at this point", he added. "We have big plans, but nothing is green-lit (past the writers room) and nothing is set in stone. Fingers crossed, though, the first season does as well as we hope, and leads to an even greater second! I continue to be in the writers’ room every day, weighing in on every creative decision".
Percy Jackson and The Olympians release date
Percy Jackson and The Olympians started streaming exclusively on Disney Plus on December 20, 2023, with a two-episode premiere. The full series is now available to stream
Percy Jackson and The Olympians cast
One of the main criticisms of the Percy Jackson movies was that the cast members were much older than the characters they were playing, and that's changed this time around.
The main trio was announced at D23 and by author Rick Riordan. Playing the titular character is Walker Scobell (The Adam Project); he's joined by Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth and Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood, forming the main trio of the story.
Olivea Morton plays Nancy Bobofit, Dior Goodjohn is playing Clarisse LaRue and Charlie Bushnell is playing Luke Castellan. Alongside the young newcomers are Big Little Lies star Virginia Kull, comedian and actor Jason Mantzoukas, and Megan Mullally (Will & Grace).
Timothy Omundson (Lucifer) is playing Hephaestus, Jay Duplass (Transparent) is on hand as Hades, Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda plays Hermes, Adam Copeland (The Flash) plays the Greek god of war, Ares. Plus, Suzanne Cryer (Straight Man) is playing Echidna, the Mother of Monsters, Jessica Parker Kennedy (The Flash) is playing Medusa, and Glynn Turman is playing Chiron, the Centaur who trains the half-bloods.
In addition, Toby Stephens is playing Percy's father Poseidon, and the late Lance Reddick played Zeus for season 1. Rick Riordan is a huge fan of both actors; on his blog, he called Stephens as 'an unstoppable force' and 'British acting royalty' and said Reddick has 'so much gravitas he could pull planets out of alignment'. These last two stars were the final two announcements for the series, with Riordan promising that any outstanding gods who hadn't yet been cast would not be appearing in the first season.
Disney released character posters for our main trio on July 22, 2023; check them out below:
Percy Jackson and The Olympians plot
Percy Jackson and the Olympians, unsurprisingly, follows the story of the original book series, focusing on a young boy and his friends as they navigate a world of magic and Greek mythology. In this world, Percy is known as a “half-blood,” so-called because one of his parents is a Greek god and one is human. After learning he's a descendant of Poseidon, Percy enters Camp Half-Blood to learn more about his past, practice his godlike powers, and unlock his full potential.
Rick Riordan confirmed ahead of the show's release that each season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians would focus on just one book in the series, and Disney's summary for the new series confirmed that the first season would be drawing from book one, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.
Specifically, Percy Jackson and the Olympians first series sees Percy, Annabeth and Grover dispatched on a dangerous quest to recover Zeus' master lightning bolt.
Together, the trio journeys across the United States, outwitting gods and doing battle with mythological monsters, all with the hope of tracking down this mythical artifact and preventing a full-scale war between the gods of Mount Olympus.
Percy Jackson & The Olympians episode guide
Below, we've included the episode synopses from Disney Plus for each installment of Percy Jackson and The Olympians that's aired so far, if you need a brief reminder of what's happened so far.
- Episode one - "I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher": Expelled from school, Percy Jackson unravels who he is, confronting a world of gods and monsters.
- Episode two - "I Become Supreme Lord of the Bathroom": Percy finds his place at Camp Half Blood, where he learns just how special his origins may be.
- Episode three - "We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium": Percy sets off on the quest to return Zeus' master bolt and stop a war between the gods.
- Episode four - "I Plunge to My Death": Our heroes search for a refuge in St Louis, and come face to face with the mother of all monsters.
- Episode five - "A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers": The quest deepens as Percy, Annabeth, and Grover are tasked with a favor from a fearsome opponent.
- Episode six - "We Take a Zebra to Vegas": Percy, Annabeth, and Grover must resist the alluring draw of a casino that feels outside of time.
- Episode seven - "We Find Out the Truth, Sort Of": Our heroes journey across the Underworld, and bargain for their safety with the god of the dead.
- Episode eight - "The Prophecy Comes True": Mount Olympus beckons... and Percy must face his greatest battle yet.
Is there a trailer?
A teaser arrived on September 20, three months out from the show's debut. In it, we get a proper introduction to Percy as a character... and see him being attacked by a teacher (who has turned into a Fury). And anyone who's read the books will remember his first battle with the minotaur, which is teased below:
You can also find some of the earlier promotional material from the series below:
