Percy Jackson's Timothy Omundson Praises "Feature Film" Quality of Disney+ Series
While Disney+'s Percy Jackson and the Olympians will adapt the events of Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief in its first season, the show will not be a beat-by-beat translation from the page to the streaming screen. The core story will be true to the source material, but Rick and company have added a couple of nuances that will allow the show to stand on its own. Executive producer Becky Riordan made note of original scenes being filmed during production, and casting announcements have revealed that a number of book characters that don't appear until later book installments will have accelerated debuts in the show.
Among those is Hephaestus, the god of the forge, who will be played by Timothy Omundson in Percy Jackson Season 1.
"Well, he's [very] handsome," Omundson said at SPN New Orleans when asked about his upcoming godly role. "Hephaestus, in addition to being intensely handsome and played by a brilliant actor, was really, really fun to do."
While he is not physically present on The Lightning Thief's pages, Hephaestus has a brief presence in the story. His "Tunnel of Love" traps intended for his wife, goddess of love Aphrodite, and her paramour, god of war Ares, end up capturing Percy and Annabeth during a sidequest to retrieve Ares's shield. These events are captured on Hephaestus TV, presumably for Mount Olympus's entertainment.
Omundson's Percy Jackson debut could be linked to that chapter or a completely original scene separate from the Tunnel of Love. Regardless of how much screen time he has in Season 1, the Supernatural star is wildly impressed by the live-action world that the Percy Jackson crew have created.
"If you are a fan of the Percy Jackson series, this thing is going to blow your f'n mind," Omundson said. "The sets are feature film quality. Every day was like working on a feature film. The quality that they're putting into the sets and the other actors is just top shelf."
Percy Jackson has been using a blend of both practical sets as well as virtual landscapes created on a Volume stagecraft. The Lightning Thief has no shortage of larger-than-life locations, as the core trio venture to everywhere from the Underworld to Mount Olympus itself.
Omundson's applause extended to Rick as well, who he championed for being so hands-on during the production process.
"He's making sure that everything is perfect," Omundson said. "I know he will not disappoint."
Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1 wrapped filming this past February and is currently in post production.