Rick Riordan Provides Another Percy Jackson Production Update

Percy Jackson and the Olympians continues its big production week. The serialized adaptation of Rick Riordan’s best-selling books ventured to Westminster Pier Park in New Westminster, British Columbia yesterday to presumably shoot the famous Gateway Arch scene that takes place in The Lightning Thief Chapter 13. The Percy Jackson crew were only filming at the location on Monday, as a NOTICE OF FILMING flyer revealed that the crew would be restoring the pier park to its usual setup today. Even with that shoot in the rear view and first look footage in the distant future, the series continued to soldier on today with another on location production day.

Author Rick Riordan, who also serves as an executive producer on the series, took to Instagram to share a picture of himself relaxing in his trailer. In the caption, Riordan teased that production would take place in the woods today.

“Today’s safety briefing for filming on location includes ‘What to do if a bear attacks you for food,’” Riordan wrote. “You think anyone would notice if I hung out in my comfy chair in the trailer today?”

Riordan then updated the caption, sharing that he and the Percy Jackson crew had seen “one mama black bear and her two cubs” while filming.

Production in the woods is nothing new for Percy Jackson, as a large portion of what has been filmed at Vancouver’s StageCraft has ventured to the surrounding forest. Fans of the books will know the wilderness is where demigods will find Camp Half-Blood, as the haven for children of the Greek gods (not children of Roman gods) is located in the woods of Long Island, New York. While this series is holding production in western Canada, the recreation of New York’s Empire State Building in the area points to the New York setting still holding true for all things Greek mythology.

As for what specific scenes are being filmed in these on location woods, possibilities range from anything revolving around Camp Half-Blood to Aunty Em’s Emporium. While Medusa’s lair is not necessarily hidden in the forest, it’s location off of “a deserted two-lane road through the trees” is not exactly in public view. The Medusa chapter takes place just before the Gateway Arch, so it would make sense that the team would fill in that gap if they hadn’t shot it already. 

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is currently in its third of eight scheduled production months.