The finest myths are ancient yet evergreen. Though these stories stretch back thousands of years, mythic heroes can find new life in Marvel films, on Broadway stages, or at the heart of . Their lasting narratives can be altered or reimagined into countless forms: consider one such example.
Percy Jackson has been a success in print and on television, and now another contemporary, inventive retelling of a myth has received the go-ahead at Amazon Prime. If things proceed smoothly, it could also become a hit.
In 2017, New Zealand artist Rachel Smythe began posting the webcomic Lore Olympus on her Tumblr page. It was a rich, watercolor retelling of the Hades and Persephone story, set in a world where Hades is a tender yet reserved romantic lead in business attire, and Persephone is a vibrant pink-haired young woman whose tresses reflect her feelings.
The series quickly relocated to , a well-known webcomic platform. In 2019, announced plans to adapt the comic into an animated series, but little more was heard for seven years. Now, though, confirms the series is finally moving forward at Amazon Prime Video, with Willow’s Julia Cooperman as showrunner.
Smythe continued releasing chapters of the original comic until 2024, concluding the story after 280 episodes. The 10th and final graphic novel compilation is scheduled for release in June, meaning there’s ample content to adapt should the series gain traction.
Prime Video, for its part, has established itself as a dependable platform for animated franchises with existing fan bases. Critical Role, the web series where actors play Dungeons & Dragons, broke crowdfunding records with Vox Machina, an adaptation of their first campaign, while Hazbin Hotel was derived from a popular YouTube video. Lore Olympus aims to join these ranks, and it possesses the source material to do so.