Percy Jackson and the Harry Potter Rip Off?

[John Johnson]

It's based on a hugely popular series of children's fantasy books, stars a young male teenager with brown hair who finds out he is no normal teenager, and is in fact imbued with magical powers. He enters a secret fantasy world to find he has been destined for greatness all his life. Sound familiar?

But the movie isn't the latest Harry Potter film. No, it's 'Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief' – a fantasy epic due out early next year based on the popular books by Rick Riordan – himself a Harry Potter fan.
However, the trailer has upset some Harry Potter fans who claim that the 20th Century Fox movie looks similar to the teen wizard's adventures.

One fan posted, "Hmm... Mount Olympus looks a lot like Hogwarts. In fact, it looks almost exactly like the scene where Harry/other first years view Hogwarts for the first time."

Hollywood blogger Christopher Campbell wrote, "Potter fans aren't dumb. They are sure to see their beloved character being ripped off."

While there are obvious visual similarities, Chris Columbus did direct the first two installments of Harry Potter and now Percy Jackson, so there should be no surprise he's resorting to a look that he's been successful with.

Columbus told the LA Times recently, "I know, I know, it's the inevitable question on this picture. We would be fools not to hope for the same kind of audience."

http://uk.movies.yahoo.com/blog/article ... p-off.html

[Paul MacLean]

The first Harry Potter film is my favorite movie of the decade, and I thought Chris Columbus did an amazing job. Still, it does strike me as odd that he would tackle a project which bears so many similarities to the Potter stories. In fact, when I first saw the title "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief", for a second I thought it was a spoof of Harry Potter!

But in fairness, while I love Harry Potter, I have to admit its premise is very similar to Ursula K. LeGuin's "Earthsea" books. Earthsea also deals with a boy who is an outcast, until a wizard comes to his village and tells the boy he too has magical powers and that it is time for him to attend wizard school.

[AndyDursin]

Stories of young boys who end up becoming heroes isn't something that HARRY POTTER established -- it's a plot device that's been around forever. In the fantasy genre you can go back to THE DARK IS RISING or Lloyd Alexander's awesome Pyrdain chronicles (which formed the basis for THE BLACK CAULDRON) for similar kinds of plots. Though, I will say the central premises do seem to share a bunch of similarities, that's for sure.

I have no idea what this movie is going to be like, but the cast is terrific and Columbus will probably do a good job. A young friend of ours LOVES these books even more than the Potter ones -- I just wish John Williams was along to score it and not Christophe Beck.

Personally I'm over the whole Harry Potter phenomenon (actually I never really cared for it in the first place -- I liked the first couple of films but it's been diminishing returns for me ever since), and I wonder if kids aren't going to be looking for something new and different eventually also.

[John Johnson]

Music by Christophe Beck.

http://www.percyjacksonthemovie.com/

[AndyDursin]

Music by Christophe Beck.

http://www.percyjacksonthemovie.com/

I know, I referenced that in my above post.

[Paul MacLean]

Personally I'm over the whole Harry Potter phenomenon (actually I never really cared for it in the first place -- I liked the first couple of films but it's been diminishing returns for me ever since), and I wonder if kids aren't going to be looking for something new and different eventually also.

It was impossible for me not to love the first film. Apart from the fact it had a great story and well-rounded characters (something rare in fantasy films) it included some of my favorite actors, was filmed in some of my favorite places in Scotland, and had what I consider one of John Williams' finest scores. It was tailor-made for me!

The books themselves have mostly gotten better with each publication...but I will admit that much of the sense of wonder that pervaded the Columbus films has been missing from most of the subsequent films. And films 4-6 definitely have less "heart" owing to John Williams' absence.

Also, the fact that Rowling's books got longer, while the movies retain a fairly consistent running time, has made made the onscreen narratives sometimes rushed and awkward.

But I have high hopes for the Deathly Hallows movies, as the book was (for me) the best in the series, and quite a change of pace -- almost none of it takes places in Hogwarts and it follows the three main characters as they are on the run from Voldemort. If John Williams winds-up scoring the films, they could turn out to be the best of the series.

[John Johnson]

Fox Home Entertainment have announced the UK DVD and Blu-ray Disc release of Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief on 5th July 2010. Based on the popular book series by Rick Riordan, the film - directed by Chris Columbus - follows trouble-prone Percy Jackson who finds himself having problems in high school… but that’s the least of his challenges. It’s the 21st century, but the gods of Mount Olympus have walked out of the pages of his Greek mythology texts and into his life, and they’re not happy – Zeus’ lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Learning he is the son of Poseidon, the young teen finds himself caught between angry and battling gods, and embarks on a cross-country adventure to catch the true lightning thief and unravel a mystery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Available on DVD (£19.99 RRP) and Triple Play Blu-ray Disc (£24.99 RRP, includes BD, DVD & Digital Copy), features are outlined below…

DVD - Includes a Digital Copy but no other content.

Blu-ray - Includes BD, DVD and Digital Copy versions of the film plus the following extras:
•Deleted scenes
•Secrets of the Gods featurette
•Discover Your Powers quiz
•Inside Camp Half-Blood featurette
•On Set with Brandon T. Jackson featurette
•Meet the Demigods featurette
•Composing for the Gods: A Conversation with Christophe Beck
•BD Live extras

According to the BBFC two deleted scenes with some moderate verbal sex references and moderate violence have been removed in order to obtain a 'PG' classification. Cuts made in accordance with BBFC Guidelines and policy. An uncut '12' classification was available.

In total 2:58 minutes have been cut.

http://homecinema.thedigitalfix.co.uk/c ... -july.html

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/website/Classifie ... enDocument

[Paul MacLean]

Fox Home Entertainment have announced the UK DVD and Blu-ray Disc release of Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief on 5th July 2010.

You mean this movie was already released in theaters? I guess it didn't make much of s splash, huh?

[Ghostdude]

Ill take a rip off over a remake anyday ,I won't be seeing this one but In general I mean.