How the Percy Jackson and the Olympians cast builds authentic chemistry

Screen adaptations of books are often a swing and miss, but on the rare occasion, we get a depiction so perfect that it’s seemingly pulled directly from the pages.

Such is the case of the Disney+ original series Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Inspired by Rick Riordan’s best-selling fantasy novel series, the story centers on 12-year-old modern demigod, Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell), who’s just coming to terms with his newfound divine powers when the sky god Zeus accuses him of stealing his master lightning bolt. With help from his friends, Grover (Aryan Simhadri) and Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries), Percy must embark on an adventure of a lifetime to find it and restore order to Olympus.

The new on-screen depiction of Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a refreshing addition to the YA fantasy world. The episodic nature mirrors an odyssey that viewers experience with the young heroes. The Disney+ adaptation ties themes of chosen family, a desire for belonging, and a sense of home. That theme is most evident in the lesson the titular character Percy Jackson unravels as he discovers his demigod origins.

“He learns a valuable lesson when he gets to Camp Half-Blood that everyone has a place. You know, he walks around for 12 years, his whole life, thinking there’s no place for him and that he was alone. But everyone has a place, and [Percy’s] is Camp Half-Blood,” Scobell tells Reckon.

Scobell embodies Percy in a way that you could believe the character was always written for him. His balance and understanding of Percy’s humor, anxiety, fearlessness, and heart as an adolescent navigating changes is a reminder of why the book series was so popular. Scobell has more than proven himself by portraying Percy in a way that halts any previous doubts about his casting.

Early on, the PJO…