Fans have not forgiven one oversight for Alexandra Daddario’s on-screen romance with Logan Lerman in the Percy Jackson film
Disney recently released a TV adaptation of Rick Riordan’s popular book series. Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The series, starring Walker Scobell, Leah Jeffries and Aryan Simhadri, aired three episodes and received positive reviews. The Disney+ series is being praised for its acting and its fidelity to the source material. However, this is not the first film adaptation of a series of science fiction novels.
Director Chris Columbus published his Percy Jackson a film adaptation in 2010, followed by a sequel in 2013. However, the films were heavily criticized for deviating from the source material. This also led to one of the heavily criticized aspects regarding the film’s main characters, played by Alexandra Daddario and Logan Lerman.
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One of the biggest drawbacks of the film adaptation Percy Jackson
2010 film Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief featured Logan Lerman and Alexandra Daddario as Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase. While many praised Logan’s performance in the film, fans didn’t hesitate to point out the creators’ lack of understanding of the source material.
One aspect of the film that was heavily criticized was the casting of older actors to play the main characters and the way it explored the relationship between Percy and Annabeth. In the book series, the two characters are introduced at the age of 12.
Their relationship develops gradually, starting with a beautiful friendship that develops into a deep connection over the years. However, the film adaptation accelerates this dynamic of their relationship too quickly.
It has also been suggested that the creators chose older actors because they wanted to delve into Percy and Annabeth’s romance early in the storyline. However, many argue that despite their best efforts, the films failed to meaningfully capture the essence of Percy and Annabeth’s relationship.
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Percy Jackson TV series avoids the pitfalls of film adaptation
Disney+ series Percy Jackson and the Olympians released only three episodes, and it was already recognized as superior to the series. The films had several things going for them beyond the casting and the treatment of the characters.
The film adaptations have been criticized for leaving out important characters such as Ares and Clarice, as well as important story elements such as Camp Half-Blood. However, unlike the films, the series follows the protagonist’s teenage years, with many praising the chemistry between the lead actors.
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It also explores events that the films, including Camp Half-Blood, avoided and includes characters such as Ares, who is set to be played by Adam Copeland. Its first episode is now one of the top five most-watched season premieres of 2023 on Disney and Hulu, with 13.3 million viewers in its first six days on the streaming services.
Percy Jackson film series and Percy Jackson and the Olympians available to stream on Disney+.