The upcoming Disney+ Percy Jackson and the Olympians TV series has officially found its new Annabeth and Grover. Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a pentalogy written by Rick Riordan that was published between 2005 - 2009. The hugely popular book series follows the adventures of 12-year-old Percy Jackson after he discovers he is a demigod and son of Poseidon. Percy Jackson was adapted into a film series by 20th Century Fox beginning with the release of Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief's release in 2010. However, the series didn't extend past two films and received criticism for departing from the book.
Now, Disney+ is developing a second live-action adaption of Percy Jackson that will take the form of a TV series. Riordan is a major component of the production team, meaning that this series will likely be far more book accurate that the film series. However, many details of the series have been kept under wraps, particularly regarding casting. However, in early April, the very first cast member was officially announced: Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson. Since this exciting announcement, viewers have been waiting for the full lead trio — Percy, Annabeth, and Grover — to be officially cast.
As revealed by Riordan, the Disney+ Percy Jackson show has officially cast its Annabeth and Grover. Joining Scobell are Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood and Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth Chase. Like Scobell, both Simhadri and Jeffries are well-established child actors who are roughly around the same age as the characters in the first Percy Jackson book were. The three are expected to begin filming the series next month in Vancouver.
In his announcement, Riordan praised the two young actors. Disney is nothing new to Simhadri, who has starred in both Disney's Cheaper by the Dozen reboot and in Disney Channel’s Spin. Riordan described Simhadri as exceedingly sweet and having an amazing sense of humor. Reportedly, he and Scobell already have a strong dynamic going between them. Meanwhile, Jeffries is a rising young actress who initially gained attention for her portrayal of Lola in Empire. She is also set to star in the upcoming film Beast, where she will appear alongside Idris Elba. Riordan indicated that Jeffries is "smart, strong, and courageous," which is everything Annabeth is in the series. According to Riordan, he can see Annabeth truly coming to life as Jeffries acts alongside Simhadri and Scobell.
Both Simhadri and Jeffries seem to be excellent casting choices for the Disney+ Percy Jackson series. One of the biggest complaints about the live-action films is that the actors and actresses cast were far too old to portray the characters accurately. In the series, the ages are pretty central to the plot and to how the characters handle trials and grow as the series progresses. Scobell, Simhadri, and Jeffries might not exactly look how viewers imagined, but that's really not a big deal. There are minor details in the book that mention Percy Jackson having black/brown hair, Annabeth being blond, etc. However, as Riordan expressed, looks ultimately don't matter as long as the actors and actresses are age-accurate and embody the spirit and personality of the characters they play. From the looks of it, the Percy Jackson cast seems to boast talent, heart, and humor, all of which make them very strong choices for the lead trio.
Source: Variety