Disney’s Percy Jackson reboot dubbed ‘phenomenal’ by fans

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is ending 2023 on a high note for Disney+.

Adapted from author Rick Riordan’s YA fantasy novels, which borrow heavily from Greek mythology, the new show stars Walker Scobell as the titular demigod accused of stealing Zeus’s thunderbolt.

The cast also includes youngsters Leah Sava Jeffries (as Annabeth Chase) and Aryan Simhadri (as Grover Underwood), alongside Fargo’s Glynn Turman, Will & Grace favourite Megan Mullally, Big Little Lies’ Virginia Kull, Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda and the late Lance Reddick.

Read more: What to watch on Disney+ in December 2023 from Percy Jackson to Indiana Jones 5

Fresh from premiering its first two episodes yesterday (20 December), Percy Jackson has now been celebrated on social media for steering close to Riordan’s source material.

“Those Percy Jackson episodes were phenomenal this is all I ever wanted,” read one viewer’s reaction.

“I love how they stick to the book 99,99999%. It will be a good series”, “55 seconds into the new Percy Jackson show and I’m crying” and “The first 2 episodes of Percy Jackson & The Olympians came out & I feel like a kid all over again,” wrote another three keen streamers.

The fantasy series features Aryan Simhadri, Leah Jeffries and Walker Scobell in the young cast. (Disney+)

The compliments showed no sign of stopping, either, with Percy Jackson fans going on to describe this latest vision as “so insanely good”, “amazing” and a surefire hit for Disney+.

“There’s no better watch this season, too bad it’s not bingeable,” pointed out someone else, as they await the next six episodes.

“Percy Jackson is a real tv show like straight from the book to screen adaptation like this is not something my twelve year old self dreamt up when reading the books like this is so beautiful to behold” and “it’s so perfect and EXACTLY what I imagined in my head when I first read it,” applauded another pair of Riordan readers.

Read more: How to watch Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Universal acclaim seems to be off the menu, though, as several X users made sure to voice their frustrations with the show.

“Watched the first two episodes of the new Percy Jackson show and I liked it, but I def feel like it’s missing some personality, and as a result a lot of it feels pretty stiff,” was one bit of feedback.

“The tone too also regularly feels quite off, like it’s either really weird flat comedic moments or circumstances that are meant to be more emotionally rich just don’t quite have that substance to them.”

Highlighting pacing issues specifically, another deflated individual wrote: “Kinda disappointed tbh, the acting isn’t the greatest and the pacing is so fast and all over the place, I hope the rest of the season proves to be better but [right now] it’s just kinda aggressively mediocre.”

Percy Jackson and the Olympians streams weekly on Disney+.

Watch a trailer for Percy Jackson and the Olympians