Percy Jackson: Rick Riordan Reveals That The Greek Gods Are On Set
"Halfway done" describes multiple aspects of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The serialized adaptation of Rick Riordan's best-selling novels has eclipsed the 50 percent mark when it comes to production itself, as it has already filmed "about up to chapter sixteen" of the 22-chaptered The Lightning Thief. "Halfway" applies to the show's title itself too, as titular character Percy Jackson has been cast, but the vast majority of the Olympians remain unknown.
That said, fans may be meeting the gods sooner than later. Taking to his website, Riordan teased that "some of the gods" have begun to show face on set.
"We've also started to have visits on set from some of the gods," Riordan wrote. "Again, can't give you any hints, but if you've read The Lightning Thief, you can probably take some good guesses which gods I mean."
At least one of these gods that Riordan is teasing here is likely Ares. In The Lightning Thief, the god of war himself makes his first appearance in Chapter 15, appropriately titled "A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers." From there, Ares sends the trio of Percy, Annabeth, and Grover on a side quest to retrieve his shield.
"It was the Ares fight. That was probably the coolest fight in the whole series," star Walker Scobell said in an earlier interview regarding what he's most excited to bring from the book to the screen. "When I got casted for this, the first thing I thought was, 'Ares fight.' I'm so excited to do it."
Another god that could be on set is Hades. The god of the dead debuts in The Lightning Thief Chapter 19 when Percy's quest takes him to Hades's humble underworld abode. While Percy Jackson appears to be a couple of chapters away from reaching that point, there's every possibility that the mystery actor portraying him has already reported to set ahead of schedule.
Mystery actor is all that can be used to describe these gods, as Riordan noted that fans will have to be patient for casting announcements.
"Casting news? Nothing I can announce," Riordan continued. "Good things come to those who wait."
Besides Ares and Hades, the majority of the 12 Olympians are saved for the final few pages of The Lightning Thief. Most are reduced to just physical appearances, while others like Zeus and Poseidon speak very briefly. Down on the surface, god of wine Dionysus helps run Camp Half-Blood. He will be portrayed by Jason Mantzoukas, best known for his roles in Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Big Mouth.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is currently in the back half of its production and is expected to arrive on Disney+ in 2024.