Summary

• The Disney+ series of Percy Jackson and the Olympians has the potential to correct the mistakes of the previous film adaptation, with author Rick Riordan having creative control over the show.
• The TV series will include key storylines missing from the film, such as the involvement of the god Ares as a secondary antagonist and Percy's fight with him in Los Angeles.
• The show will also delve into important elements of the book series that were overlooked in the film, including Percy's encounter with the Three Fates, the manipulation of Luke by the titan Kronos, and the revelation of Percy's divine parentage by Poseidon.

The Disney+ television series Percy Jackson and the Olympians has a lot of hype surrounding it, as many hope that it will right the wrongs of the first adaptation of Rick Riordan's popular book series. 20th Century Fox released Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief in 2010, which was based on the first novel in the fantasy adventure saga, and it was not well received by critics and fans alike, primarily due to how much it strayed from the source material. Riordan didn't have creative control over the script or production and later expressed his frustrations with how the filmmaking process went.

However, thankfully, the author has been involved in the development of the Disney+ show from the beginning, which has given many hope that it will be a faithful adaption of the five-book series. Plus, the story will be spread across eight episodes in Percy Jackson and the Olympians instead of condensed into a two-hour movie. As a result, the television series, which premieres on December 20, 2023, has the chance to bring ten storylines from The Lightning Thief to life that Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief failed to do.

10 Ares' Villainous Role In The Lightning Thief

One of the biggest disappointments to come out of Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief was the fact that the movie completely cut Ares out of the story, despite the god having a significant role in the book. The god of war served as a secondary antagonist in The Lightning Thief, but he was nowhere to be found in the film.

Thankfully, the trailer for the Disney+ series shows Adam Copeland playing Ares, so we know that the god will have a strong presence in the adaptation. Hopefully, the episodes will feature how Ares tricked Percy, Annabeth, and Grover and why he wanted to pit the gods against one another. As mentioned above, the fact that Rick Riordan had a lot of influence over Percy Jackson and the Olympians (the show) means that Ares' villainous arc in the series will remain faithful to the book's interpretation of the Greek god.

9 Percy & Ares' Fight In Los Angeles

One of the most pivotal scenes in The Lightning Thief comes near the end of the book when Percy, Annabeth, and Grover escape the Underworld just to find Ares waiting for them on the beach. Percy challenged the god of war to a duel, and (somehow) the demigod ended up winning. Yes, it might have been a bit unrealistic for Percy to win a fight against Ares, but the duel proved to readers how strong and capable the son of Poseidon was. The trailer for Percy Jackson and the Olympians seemingly previews this scene from The Lightning Thief, so fans can rest easy knowing it's in the show.

8 Percy, Annabeth, & Grover's Trip To Waterland

Percy, Annabeth, and Grover's quest in The Lightning Thief took them to many different cities and places in the United States, including an abandoned water park in Denver, Colorado — Waterland. Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief cut this stop because the trio only went to Waterland to retrieve something for Ares, and his character was not in the film. Percy, Annabeth, and Grover's venture to Waterland will be included in the Disney+ series, as teased in the above picture.

7 The Three Fates' Ominous Warning At The Beginning Of The Lightning Thief

The 2010 movie adaptation did not include the part in The Lightning Thief when Percy and Grover take a bus from Yancy Academy to Manhattan and encounter the Three Fates, despite it being an integral part of Percy's story. The bus breaks down, and while waiting for it to be fixed, Percy and Grover notice three women working a fruit stand on the side of the road. One of them used scissors to cut a piece of yarn while looking straight at Percy, who didn't think much of it since he had no idea he was the son of Poseidon. Grover, on the other hand, knew that it was a warning and that Percy's life was in danger.

6 Kronos' Manipulation Of Luke

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief included the shocking reveal that Luke was a villain, but the film failed to explain how he turned to the dark side. The movie never mentioned Kronos and how the titan was manipulating Luke to rise from Tartarus. He exploited Luke's contentious relationship with his father, Hermes, and convinced him to Kronos in his pursuit to overthrow the gods. It's baffling that the 2010 film never mentioned the book series' central antagonist, but the Disney+ series can rectify that mistake.

5 How Percy Learned He Was The Son Of Poseidon

When Percy got to Camp Half-Blood in Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, it was just accepted that everyone knew he was the son of Poseidon. However, in the book, no one knew of his godly parentage. They were just aware that he was a half-blood. As the book canon goes, a Greek god has to claim their child, and Poseidon claimed Percy following a treacherous game of Capture the Flag by flashing a holographic trident over his son's head.

4 The Battle At The Gateway Arch In The Lightning Thief

Another significant scene from The Lightning Thief that the 2010 film cut was the battle between Percy, Echidna, and her Chimera atop the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. As a demigod, Percy encountered many monsters during his quest to locate Zeus's lightning bolt, including this moment at the iconic landmark. Rick Riordan has previously stated that he was excited to recreate the Gateway Arch battle for the Disney+ series, so fans should expect to see it come to life in late 2023 or early 2024.

3 Clarisse Bullying Percy

Like her father, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief completely cut Clarisse La Rue's character from the film's narrative. Clarisse is the daughter of Ares, and she took an immediate dislike to Percy when he came to Camp Half-Blood in the first novel. She welcomed him to the camp by shoving his head into a toilet, but her plan backfired when Percy, unknowingly using his powers as a son of Poseidon, shot water out of the toilet and sprayed Clarisse with it. Dior Goodjohn is set to play Clarisse in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, so the Disney+ series will likely better adapt her story.

2 Percy Receives His First Quest Via The Oracle Of Delphi

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief changed a lot about Percy's story, including how he set out on his adventure alongside Annabeth and Grover. The movie features the demigod going against Chiron's orders by leaving camp to save his mother from the Underworld. However, in the book, Percy visits the Oracle of Delphi at Camp Half-Blood to receive a quest to retrieve Zeus's lightning bolt.

1 The Pact Of The Big Three

The 2010 film never mentioned the Pact of the Big Three, which plays a significant role in Rick Riordan's book series. The Pact of the Big Three was a deal made by Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades not to have any children since they were too powerful. However, all three broke the pact since each god had at least one child following the deal. Hopefully, Percy Jackson and the Olympians will at least mention the pact.