Percy Jackson: First Trailer Footage Shown at Disney's D23 Expo

By Liam Crowley

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is inching towards its halfway production point. The serialized reboot of Rick Riordan's best-selling novels kicked off filming this past June, shooting primarily in Vancouver on a custom-made Industrial Light & Magic StageCraft. This first eight-episode run will follow the events of The Lightning Thief, which takes the titular character on his first quest and sets the stage for a massive gods and titans war. While specifics on Season 1 itself have remained scarce, fans know that the Walker Scobell-led show has already filmed scenes within Camp Half-Blood, is set to incorporate the Minotaur, and will bring the famous Gateway Arch battle to life.

In the midst of its busy production schedule, the Percy Jackson crew ventured to Disney's D23 Expo. 

"I cannot believe that at last, Percy Jackson and the Olympians TV show is coming to life!" Riordan exclaimed as he took the stage. "And Disney+ I think is the perfect home for it. [The Walt Disney Company] have been behind the books from the very beginning, and they've helped us assemble a world-class team to help bring this story to the screen." 

Stars Scobell, Leah Jeffries, and Aryan Simhadri joined Riordan on stage to discuss their roles in the show. Simhadri, who plays Grover Underwood, described his character as the trio's guardian.

"He's kind of the protector of the group," Simhadri explained. "He becomes fast friends with Percy at Yancy [Academy] and that helps guides their journey when Percy and Annabeth finally meet."

Jeffries, fresh off the success of Beast, plays Annabeth Chase, the demigod daughter of Athena.

"She's smart, she's nice, and she's also... You have to really impress her to be her friend," Jeffries revealed. "She's supportive and she's a fighter. She's amazing and I love playing her.

Scobell, who résumé already includes films with Ryan Reynolds and Owen Wilson, stars as Percy Jackson.

"Percy is funny, he's witty. He's very sarcastic," Scobell described. "He's very hot-headed. I'm just incredibly grateful to portray one of Rick's characters. We all are. I promise you, I will always try my hardest every single day to bring Percy Jackson to life for all of us."

Riordan thanked the cast before introducing the big surprise: the first Percy Jackson teaser trailer.

The mini trailer kicks off with Percy's iconic opening monologue from The Lightning Thief as the camera pans teases Camp Half-Blood's stables and archery sections.

"Look, I didn't want to be a Half-Blood," Percy narrates. "Being a Half-Blood is dangerous. It's scary. Most of the time, it gets you killed. If you think you might be one of us, my advice is turn away while you still can."

From there, more in-depth glimpses of Camp Half-Blood are shown, complete with demigods in the iconic orange t-shirts and Greek battle gear, likely coming ahead of a game of capture the flag. Percy is donning the uniform and is also rocking his empty necklace, which fans will recognize as the chain that he populates with beads from his quests. The footage concludes with Percy approaching Poseidon's cabin.

No release date was announced, only that it is "streaming soon."

"I think the most likely air date will probably be early 2024. Again, that's just me guessing," Riordan wrote earlier this year regarding a potential air date (h/t Deadline). "The actual release dates are determined by the studio and the streaming service, and have to take in hundreds of other factors like the release schedule for all Disney+ shows, timing for publicity, etc."

As of this writing, Percy Jackson is only confirmed for a single season, but Riordan noted the first eight episodes are being written with "the idea" of more coming down the line.

"That's the idea, yes. Of course, first we have to get approval to do future seasons," Riordan wrote. "Right now, we are only green-lit for one season, but if you all watch and like it, I am optimistic we will get approval to do more."

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is currently filming, and is scheduled to wrap production in January 2023.

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