Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1 officially rounded out its casting, bringing fans two godly announcements for the upcoming Disney+ adaptation. Lance Reddick and Toby Stephens were the final two reveals for the show and will play the Greek gods Zeus and Poseidon, respectively. As anticipation continues to build for the latest adaptation of Rick Riordan's beloved fantasy series, the author shared his excitement for the cast in a new blog post.
For Zeus, the King of Olympus, the show needed an actor with the chops to pull off the sky god's commanding aura. Per Riordan, Reddick has exactly the personality to portray the character, thanks to his previous work in projects like Bosch and John Wick. While no BTS or on-screen looks are available for Reddick's performance yet, it already seems he's proven himself worthy:
"As I told him when we met, he has so much gravitas he could pull planets out of alignment, and when he makes his displeasure known to Percy Jackson . . . wow, wait until you see that scene. If you were Zeus, king of the gods, and you could be anyone you wanted, you would definitely choose to be Lance Reddick."
Riordan expresses similar praise for Stephens' performance as Poseidon, god of the seas and Percy's father. Like Reddick, Stephens also delivered in his role, and Riordan said the actor is "incredible on screen." He also touches on the chemistry between Stephens and Walker Scobell (Percy Jackson), as well as Stephens and Reddick:
"When he delivered some of Poseidon’s iconic lines, I got chills. And seeing him and Walker together, you can absolutely believe they are father and son. Not many actors have the sheer power to stand toe-to-toe with one another and convince you they are the manifestations of the sky and the sea, about [to] tear one another apart. Lance and Toby absolutely have that godly aura."
With the final casting announcements and Riordan's general excitement, the latest adaptation is shaping up to be the show to watch when it finally premieres. In the same blog post, Riordan promises that "if you’re a fan of the books or even if you just love a good adventure, you are going to love this show." He also revealed that filming is "days away" from wrapping, with months of post-production still ahead.
Along with the aforementioned cast, Percy Jackson's ensemble includes Leah Sava Jeffries, Aryan Simhadri, Jay Duplass, Timothy Omundson, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Adam Copeland, Suzanne Cryer, Charlie Bushnell, Olivea Morton, Glynn Turman, Tim Sharp, Dior Goodjohn, Jason Mantzoukas, Virginia Kull, and Megan Mullally.
Percy Jackson Season 1 doesn't have a release date but is on track to premiere in 2024. Watch the teaser trailer below: