Hey, demigods! We have great news for you.
The Percy Jackson series to be developed by Disney+ is pushing through and they’re already looking for an actor to play the lead role.
Rick Riordan, who wrote the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, wrote on his website, “I want to stress this is a preliminary search. We still have a long way to go before anything is official or confirmed, but this is definitely an indication that things are going in the right direction. We continue to have a lot of positive momentum behind the project and are excited to move forward!”
For the role of Percy, they are looking for someone who can play 12 years old, reflecting the character’s age in the original series.
What’s interesting is that the casting call description does not mention any specific ethnicity. Riordan writes, “We are looking for the best person who can embody the character we all know and love from the books.”
They will also be following Disney’s company policy, which states, “We are committed to diverse, inclusive casting. For every role, please submit qualified performers, without regard to disability, gender, race and ethnicity, age, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other basis prohibited by law.”
Another interesting thing: you can submit a self-tape for consideration for the role.
If you are interested in submitting an audition for someone you know (or for yourself if you can pass off as 12 years old), here’s what you need to do. Take note that this is from the official casting call sheet of the show.
STEP 1: Please pick and have your child prepare their favorite passage from the book series Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
STEP 2: As your child performs the passage, we want to see their face straight-on (as opposed to angled/in profile). While they do not have to memorize the passage, please make sure that while reading, there are moments where they are speaking and looking directly at the camera (so we can see their face). The frame of the video should be fairly close (from the top of the head to just below the shoulders).
STEP 3: After your child has performed the passage, please have them look directly into the camera and have them tell us their NAME, AGE, HEIGHT, and WHICH CITY you live in.
STEP 4: Please email your child’s audition to WDT.PercyJacksonOpenCall@disney.com as either a .mov or .mp4 file. You can attach the file directly to your email submission (if the file is small enough). If it is too large to attach to your email, you can send via WeTransfer, Hightail or another secure format. Please include your child’s name in the filename for both (i.e. JohnDoeSlate.mp4 , JohnDoeScene1.mp4).
The casting search notes that “It is free to submit. This is not an offer for, nor guarantee, of employment. Due to the large volume of submissions, we will not be able to acknowledge everyone.”
Percy Jackson & the Olympians is a series of fantasy novels first published in 2005. It follows the titular character, the son of Poseidon, who must face mythological threats. It was adapted into two films, in 2010 and 2013, but were poorly received because they deviated from the source material. Riordan also expressed his disappointment, calling it “my life’s work going through a meat grinder.” For the series, Riordan and his wife Becky will be involved in the project.
There’s no word when the series will air, but Riordan estimates that it could be in 2022. What we do know is that the first season will be based on the first book in the series, “The Lightning Thief.”
What do you think? Share your thoughts below!
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