The fan-favorite world of Percy Jackson and Greek mythology is coming closer to being seen on the small screen. According to Comicbook, the production of Percy Jackson and the Olympians started this past June, when executive producer and author of the series Rick Riordan (The Heroes of Olympus, The Kane Chronicles), and the company started the eight-month adventure. The first season will have eight episodes and will chronicle the events of Riordan’s The Lightning Thief, the first book of five in the Percy Jackson book series. While many famous mythological monsters and demigods don’t appear until later in the series, Lighting Thief includes many boss battles with famous characters from Greek Mythology.
One of Percy’s first battles is with the famous Greek monster Medusa, the snake-haired cursed priestess of Athena, who will be played by Jessica Parker Kennedy (The Flash, Black Sails). According to Comicbook, the actress spoke to Cageside Press, where she revealed that her scenes on the show used both practical and special effects. She mentions how she used prosthetic snakes for her hair in some scenes while she used a motion-capture cap in others. Kennedy said that while working with the mo-cap was challenging, it was helpful to have a “wonderful script” to make her job easier.
Kennedy is not the first to portray Medusa in the Percy Jackson universe. The snake-haired gorgon was portrayed by Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill) in the 2010 movie adaptation of Percy Jackson and The Lighting Thief.
Beyond Medusa, Percy played by Walker Scobell (The Adam Project, Secret Headquarters), will also have to battle with the minotaur, the fury Alecto played by Megan Mullally (Will & Grace, Reservation Dogs), the Echidna played by Suzanne Cryer (Silicon Valley, All Rise), and will even have an encounter with Cerberus.
Percy Jackson and The Lighting Thief follows Percy, a young boy who discovers that his father is a Greek god. This discovery brings him trouble and causes him to encounter monsters on his way to a secret summer camp for demigod children. Once he arrives at Camp Half-Blood, Percy becomes friends with Annabeth Chase, played by Leah Jeffries (Rel, Something from Tiffany’s), and Grover Underwood, a satyr, played by Aryan Simhadri (Cheaper by the Dozen, Spin). After some days in the camp, news arrives that the Greek god Zeus has lost his master lightning bolt and suspects that Percy has stolen it. To prove his innocence, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover must go on a quest to retrieve the lightning bolt and find the real lighting thief.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians will premiere on Disney+ sometime in 2024. The Percy Jackson films are available to watch on Disney+. Don’t forget to watch the teaser trailer below.