# Will this movie flop because of the title - "Percy Jackson And The Olympians: The Lightning Thief" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 11, 2010, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-movie-flop-because-of-the-title-percy-jackson-and-the-olympians-the-lightning-thief/524552 "2010-01-11T20:14:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2010, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-movie-flop-because-of-the-title-percy-jackson-and-the-olympians-the-lightning-thief/524552/21 "2010-01-12T02:20:16Z")
> [@3\_20\_59\_or\_bust](#): > > I just regret that the books have become so popular - and in doing so, they’ve taken a great talent away from Adult Fiction. > > Rick Riordan wrote some great mystery novels for adults before he realized he could sell more books to kids. > > Almost as bad as the similar loss of Pete Hautman from Adult Fiction to Young Adult Fiction. Nothing prevents you from reading their YA books, you know. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2010, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-movie-flop-because-of-the-title-percy-jackson-and-the-olympians-the-lightning-thief/524552/22 "2010-01-12T06:53:19Z")
Well, at least it’s not as bad as **Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” By Sapphire**. > [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > While it does have a built-in audience I think the OP is right to wonder about a title like that. Last I checked _The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus_ made back about $5m of its (estimated) $45m budget. That film is only in limited release. Checking [Boxofficemojo.com](http://Boxofficemojo.com), it’s in 552 theaters. For comparison, \*\*Avatar **is in 3,452 and Sherlock Holmes and the** Alvin & the Chipmunks \*\*movie are both in over 3,600. I don’t know when or if it will go wide. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2010, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-movie-flop-because-of-the-title-percy-jackson-and-the-olympians-the-lightning-thief/524552/23 "2010-01-12T20:09:54Z")
As far as unwieldy titles go, how about _The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe_? That’s got four "the"s. Still did pretty well, though, as opposed to its follow-up. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2010, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-movie-flop-because-of-the-title-percy-jackson-and-the-olympians-the-lightning-thief/524552/24 "2010-01-12T21:23:47Z")
I like it, if only because the hero is named Percy. Maybe he’ll undo the damage caused by Ron Weasley’s brother Percy. ---
**Author:** ![3\_20\_59\_or\_bust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/47e85d/32.png) [@3\_20\_59\_or\_bust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3_20_59_or_bust)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2010, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-movie-flop-because-of-the-title-percy-jackson-and-the-olympians-the-lightning-thief/524552/25 "2010-01-12T21:24:12Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Nothing prevents you from reading their YA books, you know. I’ve read them, and I enjoy them. But they’re written with the YA audience in mind, no doubt. To me, anyway, the YA novels by Hautman and Riordan (and Hiaasen) don’t match the quality of their adult novels. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-movie-flop-because-of-the-title-percy-jackson-and-the-olympians-the-lightning-thief/524552/26 "2010-01-13T00:07:13Z")
A friend recommended Riordan’s series of mystery novels set in San Antonio. Have you read them? ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-movie-flop-because-of-the-title-percy-jackson-and-the-olympians-the-lightning-thief/524552/27 "2010-01-13T04:44:56Z")
Although it lacks a colon, [_The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074207/) won’t fit on most marquees. Also, _Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb_ is right up there. ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-movie-flop-because-of-the-title-percy-jackson-and-the-olympians-the-lightning-thief/524552/28 "2010-01-13T04:58:55Z")
I read this series as an adult. It’s definitely aimed at a younger audience (12-14 seems about right to me.) But I certainly enjoyed it. If these books had been available when I was that age, I would have freaking loved them. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-movie-flop-because-of-the-title-percy-jackson-and-the-olympians-the-lightning-thief/524552/29 "2010-01-13T06:05:44Z")
I didn’t read it and the title is a big turnoff. But so is the theme. And I avoid first-run films, so my opinion is worthless. _shrug_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-movie-flop-because-of-the-title-percy-jackson-and-the-olympians-the-lightning-thief/524552.md?page=1)