Percy Jackson Trailer Review: I Actually Want To Be A Halfblood
- Look, I didn't want to be half-breed.
I've read the words on the page, heard them sing in Broadway musicals, but now it's time to hit the big screen.
The Percy Jackson and the Olympians teaser was released on September 10th during the D23 Expo, Disney's annual convention where Disney provides behind-the-scenes information and previews of upcoming content.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a series of five books written by Rick Riordan. In the novels, we follow our protagonist, Percy Jackson, through deadly battles and perilous quests against some of the most terrifying characters in Greek mythology. Percy, an ordinary 12-year-old boy living an ordinary life in New York, throws his life into chaos when he discovers that his father is the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon.
These books are very precious to me. I grew up reading all of them, the sequels, and all of Riordan's other works. Needless to say, I'm thrilled that the series is coming to Disney+. I cried with joy.
Several adaptations of these novels have been made over the years, including the musical The Lightning Thief, based on the original book. There are two movies for the first and second books; Both are horribly wrong and annoy me to no end. Seriously, don't get me started, I won't stop. But this new Disney+ show is promising.
Riordan was heavily involved in the creation of the series, influencing everything from the casting and script to producing and directing. Riordan made sure to stay as faithful to the book as possible, unlike the films that have limited involvement with the series fans. He (and I) wanted the series to be as close to the original content of the book as possible.
The trailer opens with the iconic line, "Listen, I didn't mean to be cold-blooded." It was the first book, the first line of music, that started this amazing journey. I'm so glad they kept it and let actor Percy Walker Scobell talk about it.
When the casting was announced, Riordan said on his blog that Scobell "had the perfect comic timing, sweetness, violence, bite and bravery to portray our hero, Percy Jackson." Scobell is a super PJO fan who has read all the books and sold Camp Half-Blood merchandise.
His dedication and passion is evident as he delivers the opening single, and the off-again Scobell and co have been keeping fans updated with jokes, chats and even celebrating Percy Jackson's birthday on Instagram.
The trailer shows a picture of Camp Half-Blood, the home of all the gods. I've seen the trailer several times - probably close to 15 - but I'm already obsessed with set design. Camp looked good on film but lacked that liveliness, that sparkle. In the movies, it looks like your average summer camp, but the trailer shows otherwise.
The lighting was mysterious, the flames adding to the almost otherworldly feeling. Percy wanders through the camp, all the campers look at him, but his focus is on the birds in the trees and the eerie glimmer of the lake. Carefully enter the nest and it becomes clear that this structure was built in honor of the gods. With large columns and open doors, this impressive house is a monument to his father, Poseidon.
I was impressed with the amount of detail they put into the trailer. The armor itself is fantastic, but the leather straps that the campers receive as necklaces, a mix of Greek and English letters representing a dyslexic demigod, made the armor design stand out to my liking.
However, the only detail we don't know is the show's release date. Despite all the questions and speculation, Riordan refused to share information with us. But while I'm waiting for pins and needles, I keep escaping to the pages of Percy Jackson.
This story was written by Izzy Fonfaro Druel. She can be reached at isabella.fonfaradrewel@marquette.edu.
