Author, Rick Riordan, is sharing that a cast announcement for the upcoming television adaptation of Percy Jackson and the Olympians will be made soon. The best-selling novel series of the same name follows its titular character, Percy Jackson, a young demigod who embarks on an adventure to prevent the Titans from destroying the world in the 21st century. Riordan revealed back in 2020 that Disney would produce the new live-action show, set to premiere on its streaming platform, and that the first season would cover The Lightning Thief. The author has also explained that he would be involved in the series’ development, sharing updates along the way on his personal website, most recently confirming that production of the Disney+ adaptation would begin in June in Vancouver, Canada.
Fans of the source material are likely familiar with the 20th Century Fox film adaptations, the first of which, The Lightning Thief, was released in 2010, with Sea of Monsters coming out three years later. While both projects proved to be successful at the box office, they received criticism for their overall handling of the original novels, with Riordan also expressing disappointment in the changes made to his stories. Fans did, however, enjoy the performances from Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, and Brandon T. Jackson, and news of the upcoming series has caused many to take to social media to campaign for their involvement, opening up discussions surrounding its casting. Riordan addressed some of the buzz by saying that he has no idea if actors from the Percy Jackson movies would return for another role but added that the point of the new series is to start fresh.
Now, Riordan has shared another update on his website, this time writing that the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series is close to having its three main protagonists, Percy, Grover, and Annabeth. He also explains that he cannot reveal anything related to casting until all of the necessary deals are closed. He goes on to say that they have begun looking to cast other characters but that they are in the early stages of that process. Check out Riordan’s quote about when he thinks the cast announcement will come out below:
“Just a guess, I would say we are at least a couple more weeks away from being able to announce anything, and when we do announce the three main leads, we will probably announce them all at once (but that is JUST my personal guess).“
Riordan’s involvement with the upcoming adaptation has excited fans hoping to see a better representation of his novels on screen. Another past update from the author was the hiring of James Bobin as the director of episode one. Bobin’s most recent film credits include Alice Through the Looking Glass and Dora and the Lost City of Gold, and Riordan has said he knows the material well. The author has also teased some of the set designs, calling them beautiful and sharing that they will be thrilling to fans.
Riordan’s documentation of the whole process involved in making this series and his excitement over it should provide further proof to fans that the new adaptation is in good hands. With filming set to start soon, it will not be long before Percy Jackson and the Olympians makes its way to Disney+. Fans can look forward to more news as it comes out and can keep up with Riordan as he continues to track the show’s progress.
