‘Percy Jackson’ TV Series: Rick Riordan Shares Major Filming Update
Rick Riordan, the author of the Percy Jackson book series, teased fans with news on the new Percy Jackson TV series in a recent post on his website. The post, which was playfully secretive, eluded to a “vacation” Riordan and his wife took in February to LA and Vancouver. Featuring pictures and details of casting calls in Burbank and the couple’s meanderings around Vancouver, Riordan revealed much about the production status of the upcoming Percy Jackson TV series coming to Disney+.
Percy Jackson TV series casting has begun
In his post (available at rickriordan.com), Riordan says, “On Saturday, we headed to the Disney Studios in Burbank for some in-person chemistry read auditions for Percy Jackson. This means we brought together different combinations of young actors we had identified as interesting candidates for the roles of Percy, Annabeth and Grover, and had them read through scenes together to see how they interacted. It was informative and exciting, and though we have come to no decisions yet, the process is moving along well.”
And while no names have been attached yet, actor Logan Lerman, who starred as Percy Jackson in the feature films, has already opened the door for his return to the franchise. In a video for Entertainment Tonight, Lerman said, “I’m curious if there would be a role that would be interesting for me or something like that. I’d definitely consider it” and fans have been calling for him to return as Percy’s father, the Greek god of the Sea, Poseidon.
How old will Percy Jackson be in the new Disney+ series?
One detail that is sure to please fans of Riordan’s book series is that the Percy Jackson TV series appears dedicated to casting actors similar in age to the characters in the books. In a 2021 blog post on rickriordan.com, Riordan says, “We are looking for an actor who can “play 12.” That allows for a range in the actual age of the actor, but the goal is to stay true to the original story and have Percy’s character age from 12 to 16 over the course of the TV series, assuming of course we are lucky enough to make all five seasons.”
As the aging-up of the characters for the feature film franchise became a point of contention, this seems like a good beginning to pleasing fans of the books. Riordan goes on to say that once the role of Percy is cast, the roles of Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood would be quick to follow, a step that was initiated in December 2021 when Disney studios announced the casting call for both leading characters.
What will the Percy Jackson TV series be about?
The new series will revisit the story of 12-year-old Percy Jackson, a modern demigod and the son of Poseidon, who is accused by Zeus of stealing his lightning bolt. As Riordan mentioned in his post about casting, the hope is that the series would have five seasons, with each season dedicated to the books of the series: The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan’s Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, and Last Olympian.
Rick Riordan will lead production for the Percy Jackson TV series
Unlike the feature films, which did not include Rick Riordan among the production team, the author of the Percy Jackson series will be intimately involved in the new Disney+ series. Riordan joins Jon Steinberg in writing the pilot for the series and will also be executive producing. The pilot episode will be directed by James Bobin, who is known for directing 2019’s Dora and the Lost City of Gold and, more recently, directed an episode of The Mysterious Benedict Society. Filming for the Percy Jackson TV series could begin this year in Vancouver.
