Disney+’s live-action Percy Jackson series has tapped Walker Scobell to star in the lead role. Scobell will take on the titular role in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, based on Rick Riordan’s award-winning book series.
Filming is expected to begin this summer.
Riordan is writing the pilot along with Jon Steinberg (Black Sails), and James Bobin is on board to direct.
When the series was officially announced in January 2022 Riordan posted a video sharing the news with Percy Jackson fans and commenting on James Bobin’s involvement. “James is a terrific person and also an incredibly talented director who recently directed the pilot for Disney+’s The Mysterious Benedict Society, which I loved. James knows the Percy Jackson books well. His kids are fans. So, we’re in great hands,” said Riordan.
Steinberg and his producing partner Dan Shotz will oversee the series. Steinberg, Shotz, Bobin, Rick Riordan, Rebecca Riordan, Bert Salke, Monica Owusu-Breen, Jim Rowe, and The Gotham Group’s Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Jeremy Bell and D.J. Goldberg are executive producing. 20th Century Television is producing the latest adaptation of Riordan’s bestselling novels.
Walker Scobell was recently seen in Netflix’s sci-fi action film The Adam Project starring Ryan Reynolds. The movie marked the superhero-loving Scobell’s first acting role. He recently worked on his second film, the action-adventure movie Secret Headquarters with Owen Wilson, Michael Pena, and Jesse Williams.
Disney+ offered the following description of Percy Jackson and the Olympians:
Percy Jackson and the Olympians tells the fantastical story of a 12-year-old modern demigod, Percy Jackson, who’s just coming to terms with his newfound supernatural powers when the sky god Zeus accuses him of stealing his master lightning bolt. Now Percy must trek across America to find it and restore order to Olympus.
Percy Jackson is a smart and compassionate kid with a sharp sense of humor. He’s always seen himself as an outsider, in no small part because of how the world sees his ADHD and dyslexia. He’s impulsive and rambunctious and is quick to anger when things seem unfair to him. But beneath his cynicism is an affectionate son and loyal friend who just wants to do right by those he cares about. If only he could find a place where he fits in.
