'Percy Jackson' author Rick Riordan reveals who will portray Zeus and Poseidon in upcoming series
As the Disney+ adaptation of Percy Jackson and the Olympians is looming closer and closer, fans have been eagerly waiting for more information on the live-action series.
Well, here's some exciting news: the author of the best-selling novels, Rick Riordan, has announced that Lance Reddick and Toby Stephens will be portraying the Greek gods Zeus and Poseidon, respectively.
On his website, Riordan shared that the reason why the reveal took so long was because it was in their scheme to wait to announce the cast until they were done with their filming. And since the two actors were the last major characters to appear in the season, it took a while for them to be revealed.
According to the Greek mythology-loving author, Reddick is the "perfect actor to channel Zeus' personality," describing him as having an "aura of authority and power that makes him perfect for the king of Olympus."
"As I told him when we met, he has so much gravitas he could pull planets out of alignment, and when he makes his displeasure known to Percy Jackson... wow, wait until you see that scene," Riordan gushed.
As for the god of thunder's brother and Percy Jackson's father, Poseidon, Riordan described Stephens as "incredible on screen."
"When he delivered some of Poseidon’s iconic lines, I got chills. And seeing him and Walker Scobell (Percy Jackson) together, you can absolutely believe they are father and son," Riordan wrote.
Riordan higlighted that Reddick and Stephens "absolutely have that godly aura," adding that "not many actors have the sheer power to stand toe-to-toe with one another and convince you they are the manifestations of the sky and the sea, about to tear one another apart."
The upcoming Disney+ adaptation is based on Riordan's fantasy adventure novels that center on the titular character Percy, a demigod who is suddenly thrusted into a world where Greek gods, heroes, and monsters exist in the real world.
Starring Scobell, Aryan Simhadri, and Leah Sava Jeffries as the three main leads, the first season of the show will adapt The Lightning Thief, the first book in the novel series.
In an update, Riordan shared that they are now almost done with all the photography for the eight episodes.
"I have seen early director’s cuts for episodes one to six and all the dailies for episodes seven and eight, so I am now confident in predicting... yeah, if you’re a fan of the books or even if you just love a good adventure, you are going to love this show," he wrote.
He confirmed that Reddick and Stephens are the last actors in the cast announcement, meaning that any god or demigod who has yet to be revealed will not appear in the first season and won’t be cast until the subsequent seasons start.
"Any of those announcements are probably at least a year away," Riordan wrote.
Reddick is known for his roles in The Wire, the John Wick franchise, and the Netflix series Resident Evil. While Stephens is prominent for portraying the James Bond villain Gustav Graves in the 2002 film Die Another Day.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is expected to premiere in Disney+ sometime in 2024.