Get Excited Demigods
Are you ready, demigods? If you’re as big a Percy Jackson fan as I am, you’re ready for this show to arrive on Disney+. It is officially in production, and we received details on our lead and supporting characters casting, finalizing who we’ll see when the series premieres.
Series Leads
Characters appearing in the show as announced include (the big three) Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Grover Underwood as our series leads. Percy Jackson will be portrayed by 13-year-old Walker Scobell. Although he is a newcomer to acting, he recently starred in the hit Netflix film The Adam Project, shining as bright as co-star Ryan Reynolds.
Next, we have 12-year-old Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth Chase. She has made regular appearances in two hit series Empire and Rel respectively. Leah will also star in two upcoming films, Beast alongside Idris Elba, and Amazon’s Something From Tiffany’s with Zoey Deutch and Shay Mitchell.
Finally, among the big three, we have 16-year-old Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood. Aryan, like Leah, is a proven actor at this point in his career. He also seems to have a strong working relationship with Disney, previously appearing in the Disney+ remake of Cheaper By The Dozen, in which Aryan stole the show with his comedic timing. Simhadri also appears in Disney’s original film Spin. Expect his comedic timing and ability to translate to Grover. With that being said, it is the expectation for all of our leads to shine in this installment.
Supporting Characters
Percy Jackson And The Olympians supporting actors & actresses have been formally announced. The castings bring many welcome additions to guide our leads on their conquest. So let’s dive into what characters will be guiding or targeting our heroes on their conquest. Sally Jackson, Dionysus (Mr. D), Mrs. Dodds (Alecto), Mr. Brunner (Chiron), and Gabe Ugliano were cast officially. Also, we could see a few more castings for Gods and Demigods in the coming weeks.
Phenomenal Casting Additions
Sally Jackson will be played by experienced actress Virginia Kull. You may have seen her in Boardwalk Empire, Big Little Lies, Mr. Mercedes, or NOS4A2. Rick Riordan has stated in the table read for episode 1, she moved him to tears playing Percy Jackson’s mother.
Jason Mantzoukas joins this talented cast as Dionysus, also known as Mr. D. He brings some veteran comedic skills as well as dramatic gravitas to the Percy Jackson ensemble. You may recognize him or his voice from Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Parks and Recreation, The League, The Good Place, Big Mouth, or Invincible.
Next, we have another impressive addition in Megan Mullally. She will bring Mrs. Dodds (Alecto) to the screen and provide her SAG award-winning, Golden Globe-nominated skill set to the cast. Megan has a very impressive resume, appearing in dozens of films, and displaying her talents on hit television series including Will & Grace, The Great North, Parks and Recreation, and 30 Rock. Mullally also voices Gayle in Bob’s Burgers’.
If you’re a Percy Jackson fan, Mr. Brunner, better known as Chiron, is a legend and fan favorite. Who better than a legend to play this character. Glynn Turman has amazing credentials, appearing in the likes of The Wire, House of Lies, and Fargo, winning numerous awards along the way. In other terms, he’s the ideal Chiron, the immortal centaur and Camp Half-Blood instructor. Expect a strong relationship with Percy Jackson/Walker Scobell.
Finally, we have our Gabe. The stepfather of Percy Jackson is officially Timm Sharp. Sharp is another adept and skilled actor, with 20 years of experience. Appearing in a range of television shows such as Blunt Talk, Undeclared, Enlightened, Briarpatch, and Six Feet Under.
Established Production Crew
Fans of the books are extremely excited about not only the outstanding cast that has been assembled but also the crew. The three directors set to be involved are James Bobin (The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Muppets), who is confirmed to direct the pilot, Anders Engstrom (Helstrom), and Jet Wilkinson, who notably directed Marvel’s Daredevil.
Rick Riordan, the creator of the beloved children’s novels, is set to co-write and executive produce the series. Riordan will co-write the project alongside Jon Steinberg, who is known for the hit series Black Sails. Steinberg and his producing partner Dan Shotz will guide the project and serve as executive producers. Alongside the directing trio are executive producers James Bobin, Rebecca Riordan, Bert Salke, Monica Owusu-Breen, Jim Rowe, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Jeremy Bell, and D.J. Goldberg. With a strong cast and crew staying true to the original books, we’re due for an amazing adaptation.
If you’re looking for something to binge on TV in the meantime, take a look at our Stranger Things Season 4 guide here.
