It’s sixth-grade lunch. You can hear the bell ring, signaling class is over; chairs scraping in the distance, and shoes smacking on the linoleum floors as kids rush to get the best seats in the cafeteria. Everyone is gossiping and sharing what short-lived romance between two twelve-year-olds made sixth-grade news for the day, and the teachers take a gasp of relief as their class period is finally free.
Yet, there is another group quietly sitting in the middle school library. A group of sixth-grade girls, including myself, we’re immersed in our own activities and unaware of their surroundings. We rapidly flip through the life-changing Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan, wondering if Percy and Annabeth will make it through this adventure, assigning each other godly parents, and becoming invested in the world of Camp Half-Blood, where emerging demigods train and go on quests to save the world.
The Percy Jackson franchise has long been known for its horrible film adaptations, where major plot points were omitted and the hearts of thousands of readers were crushed. To name a few: Percy was a 16-year-old (not 12), Percy and Annabeth had romantic tension in the first movie (when we had to wait 5 books), and whatever the plot was with 3 magic pearls. A good film adaptation has been long overdue, but now, with the new teaser trailer dropped earlier this month, I and many other Percy fans feel hope. In December, we get to go back to Camp Half-Blood with the eagerly awaited Disney+ adaptation starring Walker Scobell as the new face of Percy Jackson.
I can’t begin to describe the chills I got when I heard the sound of “Riptide” by Vance Joy play from my computer in a clever tie to Percy’s beloved sword of the same name. And yes, our new Percy may be blonde, but the second Walker Scobell introduced himself as the troubled kid in the trailer, I could not help but feel like Disney and Rick Riordan found the perfect Percy.
The trailer promised every bit of action and amazingness the book gave me over six years ago. We had our Annabeth and Grover, our fury, capture the flag, Medusa and Aries, and a waterpark. We have our new Camp Half-Blood that I, and every other Percy Jackson kid, cannot wait to return to.
The new Percy Jackson show arrives on December 20th with a 2-episode premiere followed by episodes weekly; it’s time to return home.