Disney Plus’ adaptation of Rick Riordan’s beloved Percy Jackson and the Olympians series is one of the streaming platform’s most hotly anticipated shows, with fans of the books desperately waiting for each scrap of new information about the series. But when will this series finally launch on Disney Plus, and who is playing each character? Here is what we know so far.
What is the plot of Percy Jackson?
The Percy Jackson series follows a young boy who learns he is the son of the Greek god Poseidon. However, due to the three major gods making a pact to not father any more children after the Second World War, Poseidon decided to abandon Percy. Fortunately, Percy soon finds out he isn’t alone when he discovers Camp Half-Blood, a demigod training camp on Long Island. At this camp, Percy makes new friends and embarks on an epic adventure that throws him in the middle of a grand conflict.
When does Disney Plus’ Percy Jackson series come out?
Percy Jackson and the Olympians arrives on Disney Plus Dec. 20, 2023. The first season will be eight episodes long, with the first two premiering on the same date. From then, new chapters will come out weekly, every Wednesday.
Author Rick Riordan was involved in production every step of the way, unlike previous adaptations of the books, and says the show will deliver the faithfulness to the source material and the level of detail that fans have been requesting.
“I feel comfortable telling fans of the books who have been waiting — in some cases, decades — for this kind of faithful adaptation, that this is the one you’ve been waiting for. We are involved and I think you’re gonna love it,” Riordan told Entertainment Weekly. Riordan has also confirmed that writing for a possible second season has already started, and plans have been made for extensions beyond that, despite Disney not yet officially greenlighting the show’s renewal.
Who will star in Percy Jackson and the Olympians?
The cast was a major aspect in making a truthful Percy Jackson adaptation that also reflected the growth that the world of television and film has achieved since the publication of the books almost 20 years ago. Riodan and the development team were adamant that the central set of characters was made more diverse to represent the way society actually looks and be more relatable to a wider audience. “It is inclusive enough that everyone can be a hero — after all, that’s why I wrote the book in the first place,” the author stated.
A talented group of young actors will be playing the lead characters.
- 14-year-old The Adam Project actor Walker Scobell plays Percy Jackson.
- 13-year-old Beast actress Leah Sava Jeffries plays Annabeth Chase.
- 17-year-old Disney Channel mainstay Aryan Simhadri plays Grover Underwood.
We also know who will play many of the show’s recurring roles. Currently confirmed are:
- Alecto is played by comedy legend Megan Mullally.
- Ares is played by none other than WWE’s Edge, Adam Copeland.
- Clarisse La Rue is played by Are You Afraid of the Dark?‘s Dior Goodjohn.
- Dionysus is perfectly cast with the star of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and a number of other unhinged performances, Jason Mantzoukas.
- Gabe Ugliano is played by Undeclared‘s Timm Sharp.
- Luke Castellan is played by Diary of a Future President‘s Charlie Bushnell
- Mr. Brunner is played by veteran, Emmy-award-winning actor Glynn Turman.
- Poseidon is another superbly cast character with Black Sails‘ Toby Stephens taking on the role.
- Sally Jackson is played by Big Little Lies‘ Virginia Kull
- Zeus is played by the late great Lance Reddick, in what became his final television appearance before passing away in March 2023.
On top of this already impressive list, several guest actors have been confirmed to appear in the show. So far, we know that fans will be treated to appearances by:
- Silicon Valley‘s Suzanne Cryer as Echidna.
- Famous actor and director Jay Duplass as Hades.
- Psych‘s Timothy Omundson as Hephaestus.
- Acclaimed jack-of-all-trades Lin-Manuel Miranda as Hermes.
- Black Sails‘ Jessica Parker Kennedy as Medusa.
- Newcomer Olivea Morton as Nancy Bobofit.
- Monk‘s Jason Gray-Stanford as Maron.
