August 2013 should be a rewarding month for those who love young adult fantasy-adventures/coming of age stories – in this post-Harry Potter age – as a second installment in the Percy Jackson movie franchise will hit theaters (after a three-year wait), followed by the first The Mortal Instruments adaptation two weeks later.
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, once again drawing from the book series authored Rick Riordan, picks up with the eponymous demigod (Logan Lerman, reprising his role from The Lightning Thief) while he attends Camp Half-Blood with his peers and best friends alike. However, an ancient evil – and familiar menace – begins to rise, which leads the son of Poseidon and his comrades to undertake a quest: find the mythical Golden Fleece, which is located somewhere in the Sea of Monsters.
Alexandra Daddario and Brandon T. Jackson are returning as Percy’s loyal pals – Anabeth Chase and Grover Underwood – with Sean Bean back in the role of Zeus. Meanwhile, the remainder of the adult characters are portrayed by fan-favorites like Nathan Fillion (Castle), Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games), Anthony Head (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Yvette Nicole Brown (Community), among others.
Riordan’s second Percy Jackson novel was adapted for the screen by screenwriter Marc Guggenheim – the Arrow co-showrunner and Green Lantern co-writer – with Thor Freudenthal (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) taking over directing responsibilities from Chris Columbus. The latest trailer, like its predecessor, suggests this sequel is taking the “bigger=better” approach – which means more action, larger-scale adventure and upping the amount of CGI-heavy spectacle (though, not necessarily the quality).
Regardless, if you’re a fan of the series – and/or appreciate the ways these stories introduce ancient mythology in a manner that’s more palpable for the under-age crowd – then you may want to check this flick out. (The sheer presence of multiple talented character actors should, at the least, help to ensure that it’s a passable adaptation.)
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Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters opens in U.S. theaters on August 7th, 2013.
