'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Disney+ is all geared up to release their latest fantasy offering, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, in December 2023. The series has been developed by Jonathan E. Steinberg alongside Rick Riordan, with the direction being handled by Anders Engström, Jet Wilkinson, and James Bobin.
The series has been adapted from Rick Riordan's popular fantasy novel series of the same name. The story has its roots in Greek mythos and places legendary Greek gods in a modern timeline and setting, backed by its rich cultural heritage.
The series will star Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries, and Aryan Simhadri in lead roles alongside Jason Mantzoukas, Adam Copeland, Lance Reddick, Toby Stephans, Charlie Bushnell, and others in pivotal roles.
Riordon's Percy Jackson story has already been adapted into a two-film series from the house of 20th Century Studios. However, this time, the fantasy novel series has been made into an eight-episode series with a new cast.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians was originally set to release in early 2024 but was moved up to premiere on December 20, 2023, with the first two episodes.
If you can't wait for another month for Percy Jackson and the Olympians to release, then we have the perfect list for you.
Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and more - 5 top fantasy films to add to your watchlist right now
The titles mentioned below are mostly part of a series of films. In case you don't have enough time to catch up on the entire lineup, the first films under the banners are the way to go. However, if you are a fantasy fanatic and get engrossed in the make-believe world of fantasy films, then you will thoroughly enjoy binging the entire film series.
1) Harry Potter series
Harry Potter is undoubtedly one of the biggest and most popular fantasy film series ever. The films are an onscreen adaptation of the book series of the same name, conceptualized and written by J.K. Rowling. The film rights were picked up by Warner Bros. Pictures and made into an eight-part series, representing each book.
The films starred Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson in central roles alongside Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, Tom Felton, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Ralph Fiennes, and others in pivotal characters throughout the series.
The first movie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, released in 2001 and the series culminated in 2011 with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2. With its fantastical world, Harry Potter gave multiple generations a childhood dipped in magic. Understandably, the franchise grossed over $7.5 billion worldwide to rank among the highest-grossing film series of all time.
2) The Lord of the Rings series
The Lord of the Rings is an epic high fantasy novel series from the mind of J. R. R. Tolkien. The series was later adapted to a film trilogy from the house of New Line Cinema. Peter Jackson directed all the films under the banner while the screenplays were written by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Jackson himself, alongside Stephen Sinclair on the second film.
The film had an ensemble cast featuring prominent actors like Ian McKellan, Christopher Lee, Elijah Wood, Cate Blanchett, Viggo Mortensen, Liv Tyler, Orlando Bloom, Sean Bean, and many others.
The series started with The Fellowship of the Ring which released in 2001, followed by The Two Towers and The Return of the King in 2002 and 2003. It was one of the most expensive and extravagant projects undertaken at the time, with a present-day cost of close to $500 million. The Lord of the Rings series was also followed by The Hobbit trilogy as a prequel to the original series.
3) The Chronicles of Narnia series
The Chronicles of Narnia is a fantasy film series that was adapted from C. S. Lewis' 1950s novel series of the same name. The film series consists of three films - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader which released in 2005, 2008, and 2010 consecutively.
Andrew Adamson directed the first two films while Michael Apted was brought in to direct the third title. The screenplay writing credits went to Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, Ann Peacock, Michael Petroni, and Adamson himself, on the basis of their contribution to the respective films.
The Narnia trilogy grossed over $1.5 billion worldwide against an overall budget of nearly $560 million. The trilogy was distributed by different houses, with Disney handling the first two films while 20th Century Fox released the third one. However, the C. S. Lewis Company has entered a multi-year agreement with Netflix in 2018 to produce future titles under the banner.
4) Clash of the Titans
Clash of the Titans is an action fantasy film from the house of Warner Bros. Pictures. Directed by Louis Leterrier with a screenplay written by Travis Beacham, Phil Hay, and Matt Manfredi, it was a reboot of MGM's 1981 film of the same name, which took its inspiration from the Greek mythology of Perseus. The film released in 2010, with its sequel, Wrath of the Titans, releasing in 2012.
The films starred Sam Worthington in the central character alongside Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Alexa Davalos, Rosamund Pike, Bill Nighy, and others in pivotal roles. While the two films collectively raked in close to $800 million, feedback from critics was not very good. Hence, plans for a third movie were dropped.
However, if you're in the mood to catch some entertaining Greek mythology fantasy just like the Percy Jackson universe, these are great options.
5) Gods of Egypt
Gods of Egypt is a fantasy action drama offering from the house of Lionsgate Entertainment. The film was directed by Alex Proyas with the screenplay being written by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless. The film released in theaters in 2016 to largely negative reviews from critics and a box-office flop.
The film starred Brenton Thwaites, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Gerard Butler, Chadwick Boseman, Élodie Yung, Courtney Eaton, and others in pivotal roles. The film received backlash for its mostly-white cast playing Egyptian characters, alongside the unimpressive writing.
The official synopsis for the movie reads as follows:
"Mortal hero Bek teams with the god Horus in an alliance against Set, the merciless god of darkness, who has usurped Egypt's throne, plunging the once peaceful and prosperous empire into chaos and conflict."
If it is mythological fantasy that you are looking for, and you have already checked out multiple iterations of Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, then Gods of Egypt can serve as the perfect option.
These were some of our top picks of fantasy movies that you can check out before Disney+ drops their latest mythological fantasy series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, in December.
