What Is The Series About?
Walker Scobell played the role of Percy Jackson, making him a perfect fit for the character's courage, and humour. Aryan Simhadri and Leah Jeffries, who plays Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase, respectively, also deliver exceptional performances, and the chemistry between all three leads is undeniable. And if we talk about the visual sequence of the series, all the special effects were top-notch with various mythological creatures, and monsters were brought to life with stunning visuals. Action sequences were also done with precision while the show did a great job at balancing the action with humour and wit.
Back in 2005, Rick Riordan introduced a thrilling new fantasy adventure book inspired by Greek mythology called Percy Jackson And The Olympian. The series evolved around a 12-year-old boy called Percy Jackson who discovered that he is secretly a demigod, the son of the Greek god of sea, Poseidon. Riordan follows up the first installation with other books in the series as he takes the readers of the series through the unpredictable yet exciting ride of how Percy grows and saves the world while embracing his powers to their fullest.
From Book To Series Adaptation
In Dec 2019, Riordan pitched the idea for the Percy Jackson TV series to Disney. In May 2020, it was officially announced for its development. The news was received with full enthusiasm by the book and the author himself, making this series the most anticipated project before it even hit our screens.
The first two episodes of the series were scheduled to be released exclusively on Disney Plus on 20 December 2023. The first season will consist of 8 episodes with a runtime of 45 to 60 minutes.
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Teaser Of The Series:
The first surprising teaser was released in September 2022 with the presentation at b23 while the first season was in production. This teaser gives us an on-screen iteration of Percy Jackson portrayed by Walker Scobell. As he narrates the opening lines of The Lightning Thief as the teaser, we can see Camp Half-Blood and other demigod residents in battle training. Another teaser was released on 18 August 2023, giving the fans more glimpses of this highly anticipated series. Officially, Disney released the teaser poster of the series on 14 July 2023. In September 2023, new images and posters were released for the show.
Watch Video: Teaser Of The Series
Cast
Over the book series, many characters were introduced throughout Percy’s world-saving adventures with some being truthful allies while others being treacherous threats. While the first season was set to cover the first novel in full, this will do the heavy lifting in terms of establishing the primary and secondary characters for the series in the short length of the series. Whether they play the roles of heroes or villains, the series attracts an impressive cast with the main trio of Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson, Aryan Simhadri as the satyr Grover Underwood, and Leah Sava Jeffries as the Daughter of Athena Annabeth Chase.
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Racism
When Jeffries's casting was called out for racism, Riordan quickly defended by saying to the Hollywood Reporter:
For Leah, she should not have to deal with that. She should be allowed to practise her profession and her art, and to be recognized as a talented actor who got a part because she merited getting the part, without dealing with this speculation of it was only this or it was only that — ‘It was a quota, It was wokeness,’ whatever, blah, blah, blah. That didn’t sit well with me.
I am first and foremost always a teacher, and that was a teachable moment. That was a moment that I needed to say, 'OK, hold on. Let’s examine this, and let’s examine what you’re saying and why you’re saying it.
As the author of the book, Riordan says that although the character of Leah Jeffries was portrayed as white in the book, he was looking for the best talent. He says, I have been clear, as the author, that I was looking for the best actors to inhabit and bring to life the personalities of these characters, and that physical appearance was secondary for me.
He added, You are judging her appropriateness for this role solely and exclusively on how she looks. She is a Black girl playing someone who was described in the books as white.
Friends, that is racism. Whatever else you take from this post, we should be able to agree that bullying and harassing a child online is inexcusably wrong. As strong as Leah is, as much as we have discussed the potential for this kind of reaction and the intense pressure this role will bring, the negative comments she has received online are out of line. They need to stop. Now.