First trailer for 'Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters'

Fox sat on their hands for quite awhile trying to decide if it was worth it to move forward with a sequel to Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. There were plenty of reasons for concern, beginning with the mediocre $220M box office, mostly from overseas theaters. But the film, which features modern spins of Greek mythology, didn't catch on despite the teen supernatural genre dominating the marketplace. Eventually, the studio decided to push on with Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, and the first trailer has finally arrived.

Perhaps the main benefit to waiting so long is that stars Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, and Alexandra Daddario have a much greater profile now than two years ago. Lerman is back as the titular demigod son of Poseidon, who must journey to find the Golden Fleece to save Camp Half-Blood, where he and others like him train. Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Anthony Stewart Head has replaced Pierce Brosnan as lead trainer, Chiron, while Stanley Tucci makes another flashy supporting bid as Dionysus, the god of wine.

Perhaps in an attempt to gain traction as a franchise, new director Thor Freudenthal seems to be borrowing a light-hearted tone and visual style similar to the earliest Harry Potter films. Whether or not it pays off we'll have to wait until August 16th to find out.

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