One scene that was not in the Percy Jackson movies will be included in Disney’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians as proven by new images teasing season 1. When the TV adaptation was announced as early as 2020, the biggest selling point stressed by those involved was fidelity to the source material. Rick Riordan, the author of the original book series, repeatedly sold his involvement in the TV adaptation in order to truly put minds at ease that the show would be a faithful retelling of the original five books he wrote between 2005 and 2009.
After the casting announcements, posters, and Percy Jackson‘s first Disney+ teaser, it became clear that this selling point was not simply a gimmick and that the show would be immensely faithful to the original books. Stressing this fidelity was of import to Riordan due to the movie series of the early 2010s starring Logan Lerman. Riordan was barely involved in the production of those films, which led to many – the author included – criticizing the needless changes made to the original story. That said, new promotional material from EW is further proving the show’s faithfulness, down to an iconic book scene being adapted that was omitted from the movie series.
Percy Jackson Season 1 Will Include An Iconic Percy & Annabeth Scene From The Books
The promotional material in question is the collection of images revealed by EW in a preview of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. One of these images shows Walker Scobell and Leah Jeffries as Percy and Annabeth respectively, sitting atop a rowboat floating down a river. For fans of the books, this scene is instantly recognizable as the moment Percy and Annabeth undergo a quest in Colorado, Denver for Ares who will be played in Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Adam Copeland.
Ares sends Percy and Annabeth into a water park in Denver to obtain his shield and Aphrodite’s scarf in return for passage west so the two, along with their friend Grover, can continue their main quest of traveling to the Underworld. The image of Percy and Annabeth riding the boat proves that this scene will be adapted in the upcoming Disney+ series after being left out of the Logan Lerman movies. Not only does this further prove the fidelity of the upcoming show, but also that the new Percy Jackson is fixing multiple mistakes found in the 2010 movie.
Why Percy & Annabeth’s Mission In Denver Is Important To The Series
While fans of the original books will be happy to see this scene included, it is worth exploring why it is an important scene to adapt regarding the wider series. At first, Percy and Annabeth’s mission in Denver could simply be waved away as a meaningless side quest on The Lightning Thief‘s bigger journey, though it actually holds some vital aspects that render it important to the series as a whole. Firstly, it is the first time Annabeth and Percy truly bond in the first book, with their relationship being tetchy and somewhat antagonistic up to this point.
Secondly, it further sets up Ares’ deceitful nature. Ares knows his shield and Aphrodite’s scarf were placed in the water park as a trap by Hephaestus. Hephaestus sets this trap due to Ares’ affair with Aphrodite, his wife, which also provides more insight into the Greek gods’ personal relationships. Furthermore, this trap involves mechanical spiders which highlight Annabeth’s deathly fear of arachnids, something vitally important to her character especially in Percy Jackson‘s sequel series, Heroes of Olympus.
From the relationship between Annabeth and Percy that becomes important later in the series to the fleshing out of the gods of Olympus which was omitted from the original movies, Percy Jackson‘s Disney series is fixing multiple mistakes of the other adaptation. When concerning Ares, the set-up of Percy and Annabeth by the God of War showcases his true nature, that being a deceitful, mean-spirited god who constantly clashes with Percy. All of this is crucial to the series, only further proving the importance of Annabeth and Percy’s side quest in Percy Jackson and the Olympians and its inclusion in the upcoming show.
