Zane attended the Charleston Young Adult Literature Fesitval, in South Carolina today. Mark Morgan, producer of Percy Jackson, admitted they “made mistakes,” in the production of the adaptation. He says, “we had to take out a character entirely, change the bad guy. We got hate mail about it, but we had to do it to get the movie done.” We’ve heard it time and time again, in the production of adaptations, they can’t write an exact film version of the novel. It just wouldn’t flow or work as a movie. “A film is a collaborative effort. We all have to decide what stays and what goes,” Morgan added. A sequel, titled Percy Jackson & the Sea of Monsters is in the works. It will be directed by Thor Freudenthal, and Logan Lerman will return to play Percy. ‘Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist’ author David Levithan says, “You have to think of a movie as a two-hour commercial for your book.” Margaret Stohl, co-author of Beautiful Creatures, calls adaptations “very expensive fan art.” Did you enjoy the Percy Jackson & the Olympian Thief film? How can they improve, with Sea of Monsters?
If you’re dying to start the ‘Percy Jackson’ series, we now are giving away any book we cover to a random commenter, every month! So all you need to do is chime in with your opinion in the comments to be eligible. This giveaway is open to international readers.
Just by following the actual story-line this time around lol. I wish they would cast a new Annabeth and Grover. They fans wouldn’t care about continuity at all, they’d be happy. And they’re going to have to cast a Clarisse for this one too. If they had really thought about the books as the centerpiece and not just something they could snag a few plot points from, they could have had a successful franchise. Hope they know how to learn from mistakes, because the first was really a Hollywood joke.
Emily said it perfectly. Follow the story line this time. But my worry is, how can they? They jacked up the first one so bad, it’s gonna be kinda tough trying to get the second one to work right.
No I didn’t enjoy the film entirely, and not compare it to the books it was okay movie, but it could have been more. They made mistakes, and it wasn’t only just the ones they mentioned. Taking out a character and changing the bad guy wasn’t the only problem, there were much bigger ones than that. The big offense for most fans were the three main characters Percy, Grover, and Annabell who were very different from their book counter parts.
Grover wasn’t suppose to be the comic relief, although he was great funny. Percy and Annabell fell for each other way too quickly, and in all just way too flirtatious. They should have been friends who bickered nonstop. As for Luke he was suppose to create great inner conflict and anger, but the movie didn’t make me care for him much.
It suffered because there was no connection to the characters or deep caring for them. Then acting it self it was on the rough side, from lack of emotion.
Although David Levithan is right about it being a commercial, but if your endorsing something it has to be close to the book or else it becomes its own story. For example if one advertises for 2% milk when the product is skin milk, yes it has some similar characteristics but they’re very different products.
I remember when I firs saw the first film, I was kinda annoyed that it was REALLY different to the book, and didn’t really like it. but then I learned to watch it as a film in its own right – as if it had nothing to do with the books and I enjoyed it a lot more!! Though I hope they do add more from the book ‘Sea of Monsters’ into the film so that there is enough substance to make other books in the series become fims too.
I first watched the movie before readingthe books. I never even knew about the Percy Jackson series before the movie. And yes, the movie is vastly different from the book. But that being said, I liked the movie on its own merits and I’m very glad they’re making Sea of Monsters too. And! I’m grateful for the movie introducing me to such an awesome series of books! I’ve read them all and just love Rick Riordan. So it’s all good in my books. Hahaha! Pun not intended.
Huh…unexpected but great, though! I really liked the first movie (I haven’t read the books, yet, so luckily I neither had any ultra-high expectations nor was I constantly comparing it to the book). I’m glad Logan will be Percy again, he pulled it off quite nicely imo. But what about the others? Will there be an entirely different cast aside from Percy?
When I saw the movie I hadn’t read the series yet so I actually did quite enjoy it, I thought it was very entertaining and fun but after I read the book I thought it was wrong how they changed certain important things like the villain and leaving out Zeus’ daughter and the prophecy but I’ll watch the sequel and hopefully enjoy it.
what bothered me the most was that annabeth seemed more like an amazon, warrior girl than a smart girl who likes architecture. i felt like the book annabeth was more original and likeable than the movie version, which seemed more cliche. but yeah thats one thing that really bothered me about the movie. i hope they make her seem smarter int he sea of monsters..
I hate the movie but love Logan Lerman
Honestly, I haven’t read the books, but as a person who hasn’t read the book….I really enjoyed the movie. I thought the movie was entertaining and funny, but yes, I heard the book is very different. Also, I thought Logan Lerman was very good looking
I understand that a movie can’t be just like the book most times, because then we would have another Lord of the Rings nearly three hours and it gets kind of slow for a while in between. Just not alot of snap and go, but more of the book is in it. It is just that it would be nice to make the movie more like the book. It does not need all the small parts just more of the importan stuff. Such as keeping the movie plot as close to the book as possible. With Percy Jackson there were parts that could have been added and other parts taken out of the movie to make it more like the book. Just keep in mind that books are works of art you cant have the Monalisa with out her secret smile. It is the same with books to movies. The books need to give keener detail in order to keep the readers going and on their toes about what is happening and how the characters got to this point in there lives. But in a movie you need to have those details and keep the viewers jumping. I think screen writers just needs to get into the authors mind set more. Like what was Rick Riordan thinking as he wrote this part and that. Would he have taken such and such out would it be better or worse to do this.
Try to stick with the storyline,and MENTION KRONOS AND THALIA,slow down the chemistry between Percy and Annabeth,find a clarisse and go with the story. CAST KAYA SCODELARIO AS THALIA GRACE PLEASE
Stick to the book!And get rid of that Annabeth! Please!
I loved this movie and the books! I think it was true to the book even with its changes. Even though people complain I truly believe changes is what makes a movie unique. It wouldn’t be as exciting if every single detail from the book was in the movie because everything would be predictable. It was higher than my expectations and I am highly anticipating for the sequel. I can’t wait to see Percy and Annabeth get closer and soon fall in love. This is going to be one great adventure.
I concur with everything already mentioned. I didn’t like the actors for Annabeth and Grover. I think that Logan did a good job as Percy, though, especially with how awful it was otherwise. I really loved this series of books and would hate for them to make only the first two or three and the rest just fizzle out because they ruin them.
Hollywood needs to learn that the closer they stick to the book, the more successful the movie will be.
When I saw the first movie I hadn’t read the books yet, but now that I’ve read nearly the entire series I’ve just learned to look at the film and the book as separate things, and I actually like the movie for what it is. I hope Sea of Monsters sticks closer to the book, but if it doesn’t, it doesn’t really matter I guess.
I really don’t want to judge the producers and the script-writers for the Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, but I really want to express my thoughts about it. It seems that some of the important details in the book was kinda not in the movie, and some of the nonsense details and scenes from the book is in the movie. For example, Persephone’s Pearls. In the book, it was just given to Percy by a sea fairy, or naiads, some sort of like that in the river of Mississippi, not that sure with the river. But the thing is, it’s just given to Percy, and in the movie, it was like finding the pearls was part of their quest and their quest is actually the lightning bolt. Things like that, but the movie is good and kinda fun to watch to. So I was hoping for the next movie, Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Sea of Monsters, please oh please, do not forget the important stuffs in their like the Cyclops, Grover in his wedding dress, Ha ha. Clarisse La Rue, Tyson and more. I am really looking forward to the movie! I hope all of the books of Percy Jackson will be shown on the big screen! I will really love that! Big Fan of the WHOLE SERIES HERE!!!
Best wishes to you guys, and may The Gods of Olympus Bless You. Ha ha ha. 
I haven’t read the books but I actually liked the first movie! I do hope to read the books one day and I am looking forward to the second film… I kinda wish they they didn’t leave such a big time gap between these two films but hey if this one turn out to be epic its fine by me
if it’s not too late i hope they re-cast Annabeth – the actress doesn’t come across as the character at all. despite the age diff, i felt logan lerman was able to portray percy’s cluelessness to some extent but was hampered by a cheesy script. also put thalia and clarisse in and create more drama among the demi-gods who hate their parents line – that’s impt to the story esp with luke’s character
Well, I liked the movie. Logan was the exact Percy as I always imagined, reading the books. But… Annabeth. I didn’t like the girl who played her. I LOVED GROOVER, he was so funny! Yes, I think Sea of Monsters will be better. Looking forward to it!
logan lerman was a perfect percy and the girl that played anabeth was hot, but she was nothing like the book anabeth. the book anabeth was smarter and used a knife to fight with. the guy who played grover was hilarious, he made a perfect grover but they need to add more details from the bookinto the see of monsters especially thalia.