Summary

• Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a faithful adaptation of the popular book series, with a scale and production quality that rivals movies.
• Walker Scobell brings a charming and relatable performance as Percy Jackson, embodying the character's unique qualities on screen.
• The show blends CG and practical effects seamlessly, with the help of a talented VFX team and the use of cutting-edge technology. The result is a cinematic feel in every episode.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians follows the young titular character as he learns that he is the son of a Greek god. After this shocking discovery, Percy goes to Camp Half-Blood, where other modern-day demigods live. However, another twist occurs when Zeus accuses him of stealing his master lightning bolt, sending Percy and his friends, Grover and Annabeth, on a quest to prove his innocence and find the missing bolt of lightning.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is based on Rick Riordan's acclaimed series of novels. The Disney+ series was created by Riordan and Jonathan E. Steinberg, with both serving as executive producers alongside Rebecca Riordan, Dan Shotz, and James Bobin. Percy Jackson and the Olympians stars Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries, and Aryan Simhadri, with appearances by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Timothy Omundson, Toby Stephens, and the late Lance Reddick.

Screen Rant interviewed Percy Jackson and the Olympians executive producers Jon Steinberg and Dan Shotz. They discussed the star-studded line-up of guest stars and remembered working with Reddick. They also broke down the balance between practical and CG effects, as well as Scobell's strength as Percy Jackson.

Jon Steinberg & Dan Shotz Talks Percy Jackson And The Olympians

Screen Rant: The actual scale of the show is incredible. The production is a movie every single episode. You guys knocked it out of the park. Walker really embodies all the qualities that I always wanted from Percy Jackson. What did he bring to the role that wasn't on the page for both of you?

Jon Steinberg: That's a great question. I think there is a confidence in him in not being the hero in every moment. There's a confidence that I think it takes to be the dummy in a scene and pull it off in a way that's still really charming. And I think we really wanted to own the idea that this is Percy's first day at work, for the most part, with two coworkers who have done this a number of times and there's fun to be had in that.

I think there's something for a character who, I think, has had the impact he's had because of how relatable he is. There's something relatable about being the guy who's still catching up to everybody else, and Walker's ability to make that feel organic and natural and charming, I think, was really incredible.

A lot of Percy Jackson fans may remember the cinematic adventures the character went on in the 2010s. Dan, can you talk about blending the CG and practical effects to achieve this cinematic feel in every episode?

Dan Shotz: It took a lot of work. No, blending the CG and the practical, I mean, we had the best team you could imagine. I mean, partnering with ILM, the legendary ILM made a massive difference in how to achieve this. And we had our core team of Erik Henry and Matt Robken, who were our lead VFX team, working with them.

It was a challenge. I mean, you are using the volume, which was a huge benefit for the show, also a huge learning curve because that tech has only been used for how many years. But it was a game changer for us being able to bring a lot of these sites and a lot of these places directly to us rather than going to them.

But it was also like you needed rigs after rigs. Walker on a mechanical bull, a giant seven-foot five guy on stilts for eyelines running around with him. I mean, it was pretty wild and takes a lot of time to shoot. And, with kids, you only have five and a half hours a day of real shooting time. So, it had to be very carefully constructed.

The guest stars in this are phenomenal: Megan Mullally, Jason Mantzoukas, Lin-Manuel Miranda, AEW's Adam Copeland, Jamie Parker Kennedy, and the late Lance Reddick. How did you guys get all these amazing people on the show? Eere they fans of the book series?

Jon Steinberg: Some of them were. Some of them are parents of people who were fans of the book series. I think when you have something, like this, that has been so important to so many people, and I think when people start to get a sense that you're having a good time in this production, it just becomes a place that I think people are excited to come and play for a few days. And I think the way it's structured where you can come and be with us for a few days or a week and be a god, it's a hard thing to turn down.

We, unfortunately, lost Lance Reddick earlier this year. Can you guys share any memories of him from the first season of him and Zeus?

Dan Shotz: It was an incredible experience with him. We miss him dearly, and I think the thing that I look back most [on] is his connection to the kids. Showing up as his Zeus, the kids were intimidated. Not only because it's Lance Reddick, but also this character that's been built up all season; seeing him and how powerful he is.

And Lance, obviously, brought that power. But he also brought this soulfulness, he brought this just connection to them that was pretty immediate. I just love how he showed up and actually cared for them in this scene. And you can just tell what kind of actor he was because he was amazing. He was an amazing scene partner to these kids.

And even though it was only a couple of days, he felt so connected to the show, and I stayed in touch with him for a lot after we shot. I actually spoke to him a couple of days before he passed, and he just was so proud of being a part of this and wanted it to be right, and I'm so honored and grateful that one of his last iconic roles will be Zeus. It's pretty awesome.

About Percy Jackson And The Olympians

Based on Disney Hyperion’s best-selling book series by award-winning author Rick Riordan, "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" is a Disney+ Original series that tells the fantastical story of a 12-year-old modern demigod, Percy Jackson, who's just coming to terms with his newfound divine powers when the sky god Zeus accuses him of stealing his master lightning bolt. With help from his friends Grover and Annabeth, Percy must embark on an adventure of a lifetime to find it and restore order to Olympus.

Check out our other Percy Jackson and the Olympians interview with stars Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries & Aryan Simhadri.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians will premiere on Disney+ on December 20.

Source: Screen Rant Plus

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  Percy Jackson & the Olympians

  Cast:

  Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries, Aryan Simhadri, Jason Mantzoukas, Megan Mullally, Glynn Turman, Adam Copeland, Virginia Kull, Lance Reddick

  Genres:

  Action, Adventure, Fantasy

  Rating:

  TV-PG

  Seasons:

  1

  Story By:

  Rick Riordan

  Writers:

  Rick Riordan, Jonathan E. Steinberg

  Streaming Service(s):

  Disney Plus

  Franchise(s):

  Percy Jackson & The Olympians

  Directors:

  James Bobin, Anders Engström

  Showrunner:

  Jonathan E. Steinberg, Dan Shotz

  Release Date:

  2023-12-20