Percy Jackson
I, like many others, saw Twilight over the weekend. Actually, I will admit that I was at the midnight showing with my fellow co-workers. But I wasn’t there for Edward and Bella. I was there with my hopes high that there would be a new Percy Jackson and the Olympians trailer. Luckily for me, that was the first trailer they showed. I squealed loudly and my co-worker called out “read the book first” when the trailer finished.
From what I’ve seen in the previews so far, I’m really looking forward to this movie. I’ve read the books, and waited eagerly for the casting announcements. The excitement from my teens on the other hand isn’t as apparent. Many of them don’t even know that a movie based on the books is being released. They all get excited when I tell them the movie will be out in February. The Lightning Thief and Sea of Monsters won our state book award two years in a row, so I’m sure they’ll be racing to the theater to see it on the big screen.
Maybe the movie just needs some more marketing to go with it. It’s been relatively quite so far. Do your teens know about the upcoming Percy Jackson movie and are they looking forward to it?
Our Latin III class is taking a field trip to see it… the 5th grade (which reads the book and is studying Ancient Civ.) may also take one.
I think this is definitely a younger teen/tween experience/series. Maybe the movie will change that? But in tone, pacing, and content I place this squarely in the 10-15 year old bracket, and that’s pushing the upper end of it. When we had our release party for The Last Olympian we didn’t get anyone over 12, much to our surprise! (I don’t know why, we shelve the series in juvenile fiction.) Our younger kids are excited, but I don’t think, when it comes to media, coverage and ‘being in the know’, that they are quite the same recognizable box office force as their tween companions. (see also the grosses for the movie based on City of Ember.) Personally, I LOVE this series, and think it’s SO fun. I tell kids I think the end is better than Harry Potter and they gasp in horror, but I really do!
I thought the trailer looked cool, but until the end I think it was lacking one of my favorite parts of the series: the humor! I hope that’s a part of the movie, not just the SUPA COOL FX.