Disney+'s Percy Jackson Resumes Production Following D23 Presentation
It has been a tidal wave of momentum for Percy Jackson and the Olympians over the past couple of months. The Disney+ adaptation of Rick Riordan's best-selling novels kicked off production in June, filming at a brand-new Industrial Light & Magic StageCraft in Vancouver. Since then, the series has ventured to Westminster Pier Park to shoot footage for the highly-anticipated Gateway Arch battle with the Chimera as well as the Anaheim Convention Center to present the show's first teaser trailer at Disney's D23 Expo. While brief, the 52 seconds of footage gave fans their first glimpse at Walker Scobell's titular hero, the various cabins at Camp Half-Blood, and a familiar monologue that echoed throughout the trailer.
"The reaction to the Percy Jackson trailer was incredible, both at the convention and online," Riordan wrote in a recent blog post. "And as I've said before, the really exciting thing is that this trailer is just the tiniest glimpse! Wait until you see what else we've got cooking."
Riordan's tease of what's to come could be scenes that have already been shot, or it could be material that they are actively prepping for production. Star Leah Jeffries, who plays Annabeth Chase, recently noted that the show is "kind of halfway" through its production schedule. That said, fans of the The Lightning Thief know that the back-half of the book is where things really escalate.
Director James Bobin, who is credited with helming two episodes of the series, recently completed his "blocks" of Percy Jackson and returned home in early August. Now, the directorial baton has been passed to two new filmmakers.
"It is great to be back on set. Shout out to our awesome 'block 2' director Anders Engström who is handling episodes 3 and 4, and 'block 3' director Jet Wilkinson, who is overseeing episodes 5 and 6," Riordan wrote. "Both are true pros who bring so much skill, artistry and enthusiasm to the process. It's just an honor to watch them work with our cast. Each day, I have to pinch myself, as it becomes clearer and clearer that this is really happening. After all the years of hard work and hand-wringing, we are actually bringing this show to life in the best possible way."
That "best possible way" lies heavily in the serialized nature of this reboot. Riordan has stressed before that having eight episodes to tell the events of The Lightning Thief allows for a more faithful adaptation, as the limited runtime of a film alongside variables like box office force cuts and alterations to be made.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is currently listed on Disney+ as having a 2024 release.