The film performed well commercially, opening at number two at the box office (behind Valentine's Day ) and eventually grossing over $226 million worldwide against a $95 million budget. This success greenlit a sequel, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013).
The result was Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief , directed by Chris Columbus (the man who directed the first two Harry Potter films). The movie had all the ingredients for a blockbuster: a charismatic young cast, Oscar-winning veterans, state-of-the-art visual effects, and a built-in fanbase. Yet, despite its commercial success, the film remains one of the most controversial book-to-film adaptations of its era. percy jackson and the lightning thief full movie