Welcome the trio! 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' series unveils its Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood
Meet the new Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Grover Underwood!
The new live-action adaptation of the Disney+ Percy Jackson and the Olympians series has finally found its three main leads with Walker Scobell (The Adam Project), Aryan Simhadri (Spin), and Leah Sava Jeffries (Empire).
With Walker announced as the titular character in April, Aryan and Leah will complete the franchise's main trio as Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase, respectively.
Grover is Percy's half-human, half-goat best friend who introduces Percy to the world of Camp Half-Blood. Meanwhile, Annabeth is the brilliant demigod daughter of goddess Athena.
Staying true to the show's aim to have inclusive casting, Leah is African American while Aryan is Indian American. In the original movies, Grover's character was played by African American actor, Brandon T. Jackson.
In April of 2021, Percy Jackson author Rick Riordan assured fans that they’re not looking for a specific ethnicity to play Percy, as the show is “committed to diverse, inclusive casting.” The titular role was portrayed by Logan Lerman in 2010 and 2013.
Shortly after the new casting announcement, Riordan took to his personal blog to share his excitement over the cast.
"Leah is exactly the way I imagined Annabeth in the books: smart, strong and courageous, a true daughter of Athena who has zero patience for the foolishness of a certain Seaweed Brain," the author wrote.
"Please help me welcome Walker, Aryan, and Leah to the Percy Jackson universe. I promise that they will do you proud!"
Welcome home demigods ⚡ Meet Annabeth, Percy, and Grover. Get ready for #PercyJackson and The Olympians coming to @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/l6mhR20WCw
— Percy Jackson (@PercySeries) May 5, 2022