Percy Jackson (film series)

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Percy Jackson & the Olympians
Percy Jackson film logo.png
Percy Jackson logo as used in the second film
Directed by
Screenplay by
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography
Edited by
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date
2010–2013
Running time
224 minutes
CountriesUnited States
Canada
Budget$185 million
Box office$428.7 million

Percy Jackson & the Olympians (also known as Percy Jackson) is a two-film series based on the novel series of the same name by the author Rick Riordan. The series was distributed by 20th Century Fox, produced by 1492 Pictures and consists of two installments. The first film, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010), was directed by Chris Columbus and was released on February 12, 2010. The second installment, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters , was originally intended to be released in March 2013 but was instead pushed back to August 7, 2013, and was directed by Thor Freudenthal. While the film series was intended to match the five novel book series, and the second film laid the foundation for a third film, further films were never produced. The shortened series in total grossed nearly $430 million at the worldwide box office. A reboot television series premiered on Disney+ in December 2023.

Contents

The films follow the adventures of demigod Percy Jackson and his comrades at the demigod training ground of Camp Half-Blood. In the first film, Percy must go on a quest to save his mother from the underworld and prove his innocence when he is accused of stealing lightning from Zeus. The second film revolves around Percy's escapades as he must retrieve the legendary Golden Fleece from the Sea of Monsters, or the Bermuda triangle, which is the only thing that will save the camp from the forces of darkness.

Films

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)

In June 2004, 20th Century Fox acquired feature film rights to the book. [1] In April 2007, director Chris Columbus was hired to helm the project. [2] Filming began in April 2009 in Vancouver. [3] The film was released on February 12, 2010. It was met with mixed reviews upon release and was a commercial success, grossing almost $227 million at the worldwide box office against a budget of $95 million. The plot revolves around a sixteen-year-old Percy Jackson who discovers that he is the son of Poseidon, Greek God of the sea, and goes to Camp Half-Blood, a training camp for demigods, the half mortal children of Greek gods. When Percy's mom is kidnapped by Hades, and Percy is accused of stealing Zeus' lightning bolt, Percy and his friends go on a quest to rescue his mom from the underworld, leading them across America to find Persephone's pearls, while proving that Percy is not the lightning thief and is innocent.

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013)

In October 2011, 20th Century Fox announced a sequel based on the second book, The Sea of Monsters . [4] The film was released on August 7, 2013. Percy Jackson, son of Greek god Poseidon, discovers he has a half-brother, Tyson a Cyclops, and embarks on a journey with his friends to retrieve the Golden Fleece to save a magical tree containing the spirit of Zeus's daughter Thalia Grace who died at the gates of Camp Half-Blood while saving Annabeth, Luke and Grover. This tree protects their training ground, Camp Half-Blood and reinforces their borders. They must travel to the Sea of Monsters to save the fleece, and conquer the challenges that may await them. The film grossed just over $202 million at the worldwide box office.

Cast and crew

Cast

List indicator(s)

This section includes characters who have appeared in the films.

  • An empty, dark grey cell indicates the character was not in the film.
  •  Y indicates a younger version of the character.
CharacterFilm
The Lightning Thief
(2010) [5]
Sea of Monsters
(2013) [6]
Main characters
Percy Jackson Logan Lerman
Annabeth Chase Alexandra Daddario Alexandra Daddario
Alisha Newton Y
Grover Underwood Brandon T. Jackson Brandon T. Jackson
Bjorn Yearwood Y
Luke Castellan Jake Abel Jake Abel
Samuel Braun Y
Mr. Brunner / Chiron Pierce Brosnan Anthony Head [7]
Tyson Does not appear Douglas Smith [8]
Gods and Titans
Zeus Sean Bean Sean Bean (Deleted scene)
Poseidon Kevin McKidd Mentioned
Hades Steve Coogan
Hera Erica Cerra Does not appear
Athena Melina Kanakaredes Mentioned
Hermes Dylan Neal Nathan Fillion [9]
Demeter Stefanie von Pfetten Does not appear
Apollo Dimitri LekkosDoes not appear
Artemis Ona Grauer Does not appear
Mr. D / Dionysus Luke Camilleri Stanley Tucci
Ares Ray Winstone Mentioned
Aphrodite Serinda Swan
Hephaestus Conrad Coates Does not appear
Persephone Rosario Dawson Does not appear
Kronos Mentioned Robert Knepper
Camp Half-Blood demigods
Clarisse La RueDoes not appear Leven Rambin
Chris RodriguezDoes not appear Grey Damon
Humans
Sally Jackson Catherine Keener Does not appear
Gabe Ugliano Joe Pantoliano Does not appear

Crew

FilmDirectorProducerWriterComposerEditorCinematographer
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief Chris Columbus Mark Radcliffe, Chris Columbus, Karen Rosenfelt & Michael Barnathan Craig Titley Christophe Beck Peter Honess Stephen Goldblatt
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters Thor Freudenthal Chris Columbus, Karen Rosenfelt & Michael Barnathan Marc Guggenheim Andrew Lockington Mark Goldblatt Shelly Johnson

Reception

Box office performance

FilmRelease dateBox office grossBox office rankingBudgetRef.
North AmericaOther territoriesWorldwideAll time North AmericaAll time worldwide
The Lightning ThiefFebruary 12, 2010$88,768,303$137,728,906$226,497,209#651#495$95,000,000 [10]
Sea of MonstersAugust 7, 2013$68,519,879$133,728,197$202,247,751#937#581$90,000,000 [11]
Total$157,288,182$271,456,667$428,744,970$185,000,000

Critical and public response

Film Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic CinemaScore [12]
The Lightning Thief49% (150 reviews) [13] 47 (31 reviews) [14] B+
Sea of Monsters42% (118 reviews) [15] 39 (35 reviews) [16] B+

Criticism from the author

Rick Riordan, the author of the book series, has mentioned in numerous interviews that he has never seen the films, to keep them from influencing the way he views the characters. [17] During March 2016, Riordan wrote a letter asking teachers not to show the films to students during class time. [18] Both films received criticism for their deviation from the source material, with the second film in particular being criticized for having merged the plots of both the second and fifth books of the series. In 2018, Riordan wrote a blog post detailing how limited his influence on the production of the films was, while also making public some of the e-mails he sent to the films' producers, in which he expressed concern over the ways they were altering his stories. [19]

Music

Soundtracks to Percy Jackson films
TitleU.S. release dateLengthComposer(s)Label
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) February 5, 201059:07 Christophe Beck ABKCO
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) August 6, 20131:08:54 Andrew Lockington Sony Classical

Reboot

The rights to the Percy Jackson novels were transferred to Disney following its acquisition of 21st Century Fox in 2019. [20] In May 2020, Riordan announced that Disney would be producing a live-action television series following the story of the series, with the first season adapting The Lightning Thief. Riordan also confirmed that he, along with his wife Becky, would be involved in the development of the series, a significant departure from the film series, in which Riordan was mostly shut out of the filmmaking process. [21] The series was greenlit in January 2022, [22] began production in June 2022, [23] and premiered on Disney+ on December 19, 2023. [24]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Lightning Thief</i> American childrens novel, 2005, first in the Percy Jackson series

The Lightning Thief is a 2005 American fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology, the first children's novel by Rick Riordan. The opening installment in the series Percy Jackson & the Olympians, the book was recognized among the year's best for children. Riordan followed the novel with various books and spin-off series, spawning the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles media franchise.

<i>Percy Jackson & the Olympians</i> Childrens fantasy adventure series

Percy Jackson & the Olympians is a series of fantasy novels written by American author Rick Riordan. The first book series in his Camp Half-Blood Chronicles, the novels are set in a world with the Greek gods in the 21st century. The series follows the protagonist Percy Jackson, a young demigod, who must prevent the Titans, led by Kronos, from destroying the world.

<i>The Titans Curse</i> 2007 book by Rick Riordan

The Titan's Curse is an American fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan. It was released on May 1, 2007, and is the third novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and the sequel to The Sea of Monsters. It is about the adventures of the 14-year-old demigod Percy Jackson as he and his friends go on a dangerous quest to rescue his 14-year-old demigod friend Annabeth Chase and the Greek goddess Artemis, who have both been kidnapped by the titans.

<i>The Sea of Monsters</i> 2006 American novel, second in the Percy Jackson series

The Sea of Monsters is an American fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan and published in 2006. It is the second novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and the sequel to The Lightning Thief. This book chronicles the adventures of thirteen-year-old demigod Percy Jackson as he and his friends rescue his satyr friend Grover from the Cyclops Polyphemus and save Camp Half-Blood from a Titan's attack by bringing the Golden Fleece to cure Thalia's poisoned pine tree.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Riordan</span> American author (born 1964)

Richard Russell Riordan Jr. is an American author, best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. Riordan's books have been translated into forty-two languages and sold more than thirty million copies in the United States. 20th Century Fox adapted the first two books of his Percy Jackson series as part of a series of films in which Riordan was not involved. Riordan currently serves as a co-creator and executive producer on the television series adaption of the book series that was released on Disney+ in 2023. Riordan's books have also spawned other related media, such as graphic novels and short story collections.

Camp Half-Blood Chronicles is a media franchise created by author Rick Riordan, encompassing three five-part novel series, two short-story collections, two myth anthology books, a stand-alone short story, three crossover short stories, an essay collection, multiple guides, seven graphic novels, two films, a video game, a musical, and other media. Set in the modern world, it focuses on groups of demigod teenagers, and features many characters from Greek and Roman mythology. The first series, Percy Jackson & the Olympians, follows the adventures of a boy named Percy Jackson at a summer camp for Greek demigods. The second series, The Heroes of Olympus, introduces several more lead characters and a second camp for Roman demigods named Camp Jupiter. The third series, The Trials of Apollo, follows the now-mortal god Apollo, with appearances by many characters from the first and second series.

<i>The Last Olympian</i> 2009 fantasy novel by Rick Riordan

The Last Olympian is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology by Rick Riordan, published on May 5, 2009. It is the fifth novel of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and serves as the direct sequel to The Battle of the Labyrinth. The Last Olympian revolves around the demigod Percy Jackson as he leads his friends in a last stand to protect Mount Olympus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Percy Jackson</span> Fictional character in books by Rick Riordan

Perseus "Percy" Jackson is a fictional character, the title character and narrator of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He is also one of seven main protagonists of the sequel series The Heroes of Olympus, appearing in every book except The Lost Hero, and appears in the Trials of Apollo series, making him one of the few characters to appear in all three series of the Camp Half-Blood chronicles. He has also been a narrator and protagonist in Riordan's Greco-Roman/Egyptian crossover stories, part of the Demigods and Magicians collection. The character serves as the narrator in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods and Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes, also by Rick Riordan.

<i>Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief</i> 2010 film by Chris Columbus

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is a 2010 action fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and written by Craig Titley, based on the 2005 novel The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. The film is the first installment in the Percy Jackson film series. It stars Logan Lerman as Percy Jackson alongside an ensemble cast that includes Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Sean Bean, Pierce Brosnan, Steve Coogan, Rosario Dawson, Catherine Keener, Kevin McKidd, Joe Pantoliano, and Uma Thurman.

<i>The Kane Chronicles</i> Novel series by Rick Riordan

The Kane Chronicles is a trilogy of adventure novels based on Egyptian mythology written by American author Rick Riordan. The series is set in the same universe as Riordan's other franchises, Camp Half-Blood Chronicles and Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard.

<i>The Lost Hero</i> First book in the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan

The Lost Hero is an American fantasy-adventure novel written by Rick Riordan, based on Greek and Roman mythology. It was published on October 12, 2010, and is the first book in The Heroes of Olympus series, a sequel to the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. It is preceded by The Last Olympian of Percy Jackson & the Olympians and followed by The Son of Neptune. The novel has since been translated into many languages and released as a hardcover, e-book, audiobook and paperback.

<i>The Heroes of Olympus</i> Fantasy adventure series by Riordan about the Percy Jackson universe

The Heroes of Olympus is a pentalogy of fantasy-adventure novels written by American author Rick Riordan. The novels detail a conflict between Greek demigods, Roman demigods, and Gaea. In the fourth book of the series, there is also a fight against Tartarus, which, in Greek mythology, was the darkest and deepest point of the Underworld.

<i>The Son of Neptune</i> Second book in the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan

The Son of Neptune is a 2011 fantasy-adventure novel written by American author Rick Riordan, based on Greek and Roman mythology. It is the second book in The Heroes of Olympus series, preceded by The Lost Hero and followed by The Mark of Athena. The story follows the adventures of amnesiac Percy Jackson, a demigod son of Neptune also known as Poseidon, as he meets a camp of Roman demigods and goes to Alaska with his new friends Hazel Levesque and Frank Zhang to free the Greek god of death, Thanatos, and help save the world from Gaea, the earth goddess. The novel is narrated in third-person, switching between the points of view of Percy, Frank, and Hazel.

<i>The Mark of Athena</i> 2012 American novel by Rick Riordan

The Mark of Athena is an American fantasy-adventure novel written by Rick Riordan, based on Greek and Roman mythology. It was published on October 2, 2012, and is the third book in The Heroes of Olympus series, a sequel of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. It is preceded by The Son of Neptune and followed by The House of Hades. The novel is narrated in third-person.

<i>Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters</i> 2013 film by Thor Freudenthal

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters is a 2013 fantasy adventure film directed by Thor Freudenthal from a screenplay by Marc Guggenheim, based on the 2006 novel The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan. The sequel to Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010), it is the second and final installment in the Percy Jackson film series.

<i>The House of Hades</i> 2013 book by Rick Riordan

The House of Hades is a fantasy-adventure novel written by American author Rick Riordan, based on Greek and Roman mythology. It was published on October 8, 2013, and is the fourth book in The Heroes of Olympus series, preceded by The Mark of Athena and followed by The Blood of Olympus.

<i>Percy Jacksons Greek Gods</i> Collection of short stories by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson's Greek Gods is a collection of short stories about Greek mythology as narrated by Percy Jackson. It was written by Rick Riordan and was released on August 19, 2014. It features Percy Jackson giving his own take on the Greek myths in a humorous way.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Staff of Serapis</span> 2014 spinoff the Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series

The Staff of Serapis is the sequel to The Son of Sobek and the second book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians/The Kane Chronicles crossover series. It was released in the back of the paperback version of The Mark of Athena on April 8, 2014 and as a single e-book and single audio book on May 20, 2014. On April 5, 2016, it was released as the second of three short stories in a hardcover novel entitled Demigods and Magicians: Percy and Annabeth Meet the Kanes.

<i>The Lightning Thief</i> (musical) 2014 musical

The Lightning Thief is a musical with music and lyrics by Rob Rokicki and a book by Joe Tracz, based on the 2005 novel of the same name by Rick Riordan. The musical follows Percy Jackson, a 12-year-old boy who newly discovers that he is a demigod and goes on a quest to find Zeus' missing lightning bolt and prevent a war between the Greek gods.

<i>Percy Jackson and the Olympians</i> (TV series) 2023 American television series

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is an American fantasy television series created by Rick Riordan and Jonathan E. Steinberg for Disney+, based on the book series of the same name by Riordan. Walker Scobell stars as Percy Jackson, alongside Leah Sava Jeffries and Aryan Simhadri.

References

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