Summary

• The Percy Jackson TV show won't feature a major character from the books in season 1 due to budget constraints.
• The involvement of author Rick Riordan ensures the TV adaptation will be more faithful to the books than the original movies.
• The character Argus won't be included in the show as his appearance would require extensive animation work and may be considered "heinous".

There is a good reason that a major character from the Rick Riordan's fantasy novels of the same name, the Percy Jackson TV adaptation promises to be more faithful than the original movies thanks to the author's direct involvement in the development and production of the show. It plans to tell the story of Percy and Camp Half-Blood as they navigate the struggles of life for demigods in the modern world.

Unfortunately, one of the major figures in Camp Half-Blood won't be making his debut in Percy Jackson season 1. Due to his appearance potentially constraining the special effects budget, Riordan's production company, Mythomagic Inc, took to Threads to announce that Argus will not be in the show.

The many-eyed Argus would have been a major issue for the show, which would have had to devote countless hours of animation to perfecting each of his eyes. Mythomagic compared Argus' appearance to the Eye Guy from Power Rangers before pondering whether Argus' appearance is truly "heinous".

Why Was Argus Left Out Of Percy Jackson?

Created by the Greek goddess Hera to be her servant, Argus has an appearance that could only have been crafted by the gods. Sent to protect Camp Half-Blood, he serves as a security guard and is often used for his prowess as a warrior, but he also doubles as a chauffeur for any demigods planning to undertake a quest. With eyes scattered across his body, including his tongue, he is also a figure that often serves to frighten all newly arriving half-bloods.

Unfortunately, Argus' appearance would be a massive constraint on the effects budget. Percy Jackson is already a VFX nightmare, thanks to the fact that so many characters have bizarre appearances or powers that can be difficult to animate. Percy's companion, Grover, has goat legs, which must be meticulously animated in nearly every one of his appearances. Percy's control over water can also be a difficult element for VFX artists, as can the magical items that many characters possess.

Argus was always going to be a problem for the CGI budget. To have a relatively minor character take up such an inordinate amount of the budget would have been a problem that would impact the quality of the rest of the show. While that means that Argus will not be appearing in any Percy Jackson and the Olympians episode, the promises that the show will be faithful to the books should hopefully leave the door open for the character to appear in the planned season 2.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians will premiere on Disney+ on December 20.

Source: Mythomagic Inc / Threads