‘Percy Jackson’ takes on the Greek gods – and Hollywood

The main character in the streaming version of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” might be the son of Poseidon, but he still has a thing or two to learn from his mortal mother.

In a scene that does not appear in the popular book series, he and Sally Jackson stand before a statue of his namesake Perseus, who holds the severed head of Medusa. For Percy, the math is easy: Medusa is a villain, and Perseus is a hero. But Mom offers another view. 

“Not everyone who looks like a hero is a hero, and not everyone who looks like a monster is a monster,” she tells him.

The sympathetic nod to Medusa is one of the ways the show shakes up the stories about Percy’s life, the first of which, “The Lightning Thief,” has charted on The New York Times’ bestseller list for children’s books for more than 13 years. Also different: Many of the white characters from the books are not white in the Disney+ version. 

Percy’s creator, Rick Riordan, who serves as a producer and writer, has reacted much more favorably to these changes than those made by two earlier movies, which he described as his “life’s work going through a meat grinder.” Gone from this version are the aged-up characters and mature content.

Fans, too, have been mostly on board. The first episode begins with a voiceover by actor Walker Scobell’s Percy: “Look, I didn’t want to be a half-blood.” The phrase is identical to the opening line of “The Lightning Thief” and seems to promise devotees that, this time, fans won’t be disappointed. 

For Sophia Campbell, the three primary heroes – Percy, Annabeth Chase (Leah Jeffries), and Grover Underwood (Aryan Simhadri) – have been particularly compelling. “The show captured the trio’s dynamic perfectly,” she says. “It really feels as though the books I grew up with have come to life on screen.” 

“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is part of a broader trend – one in which popular young adult fare is finding new life. Disney and author Christopher Paolini are working on adapting his “Eragon” books into a series. A live-action remake of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” – the critically acclaimed animated TV show from the early 2000s – arrives on Netflix next month. Also coming soon: a live-action version of the animated film series “How To Train Your Dragon,” also based on a series of books.

Nate Chinman, who first read the Percy Jackson books in middle school, says that he happily returns to them as a high school senior. He says it’s important that the characters are portrayed at the correct ages. “That’s such a huge part of the book, [that] they’re that young and are dealing with these huge things,” he says.

The first season closely follows the plot of “The Lightning Thief.” After learning who his father is, Percy treks across the United States with Annabeth and Grover. Their quest is to return Zeus’ stolen lightning bolt, prevent a war between the gods, and save Percy’s mother, Sally (Virginia Kull). Even as they encounter a litany of mythical obstacles along the way, the kids are buoyed by their burgeoning friendship and a sense of purpose.

Some fans criticized the casting of Ms. Jeffries, who is Black, as Annabeth. Mr. Riordan was among those who came to Ms. Jeffries’ defense, calling the comments out of line and saying anyone who had a problem should take it up with him. On Jan. 26, she was nominated in the category of Outstanding Performance by a Youth for the upcoming NAACP Image Awards.

“The core message of Percy Jackson has always been that difference is strength. There is power in plurality. The things that distinguish us from one another are often our marks of individual greatness,” Mr. Riordan wrote. “If you don’t get that, if you’re still upset about the casting of this marvelous trio, then it doesn’t matter how many times you have read the books. You didn’t learn anything from them.”

Ms. Campbell, who is Greek Cypriot, says the diverse representation is one of the things that initially drew her to the series. 

“Seeing my Greek culture represented in the original book series was incredibly meaningful to me, even as a young child,” she says. “To be able to see parts of yourself reflected in the media you consume is so validating and so important. ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ is a paradigm of this principle.”

Diversifying the casting of the show is part and parcel to modernizing the books’ stories, says Mr. Chinman, similar to complicating young viewers’ understanding of monsters and morality. “The book was great. ... But let’s see if we can sort of challenge some ideas in the book while keeping a similar story that follows the same beats.” 

Both the original series and the show incorporate references to learning and developmental disabilities. All demigods are said to have ADHD and dyslexia as a product of their godly parentage. Mr. Riordan has said that detail was inspired by his son and by the author’s experiences as a middle school teacher. “I felt the need to honor them, to let them know that being different wasn’t a bad thing.” 

Paul Swydan, owner of The Silver Unicorn Bookstore in Acton, Massachusetts, says that the books depict children with learning disabilities as powerful heroes. So when he and his staff highlight books with diverse representation, “Percy Jackson is always front and center.”

“[The TV show] gives them the canvas to expand what the books did and do even better from a representation standpoint,” he adds.

With a 97% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the new series seems primed to expand Percy’s legacy.

“I hope the TV series introduces new fans to the books,” says Ms. Campbell. “They are such beautiful, meaningful stories, and I believe anyone who reads them will be just as captivated as I was when I first checked out ‘The Lightning Thief’ from my school library.”

“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is rated TV-PG. The final episode of Season One airs Tuesday, Jan. 30, with a special documentary about the making of the eight-part series following it.