Alexandra Daddario, one of the stars of the Percy Jackson films, says she is not involved with the new Disney+ series. The Percy Jackson films and forthcoming Disney+ show are based on a series of books called Percy Jackson & the Olympians written by Rick Riordan. The books were first adapted for the screen in 2010 by director Chris Columbus, who had previously helmed the first two Home Alone movies and the first two installments of the Harry Potter franchise. The first film was called Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, followed by a sequel in 2013 called Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters.
Logan Lerman was front and center as Percy Jackson. He was surrounded by a diverse cast, including Brandon T. Jackson, Steve Coogan, Sean Bean, Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman, Rosario Dawson, and Daddario. While some actors were swapped out in the sequel, Daddario stuck around in the role of Annabeth Chase, the daughter of the goddess Athena. Unfortunately, neither film scored well with critics or audiences, putting a third installment on ice, but Percy Jackson is once again being adapted to live-action for a new series set to stream on Disney+. However, it seems as though the series will start fresh, as the cast from the films, or at least Daddario, will not be involved.
While appearing on the WrapWomen's UnWrapped podcast, Daddario was asked if she would be involved with the new Percy Jackson series. Daddario's response was one of laughter while stating, "No!" She elaborated on her experience working on the films, saying, "I loved it," before discussing how much she learned while working on the production. Daddario credited Percy Jackson with giving her the career she now has, which makes her excited for the young actors who will get to step into those roles. Check out Daddario's comments below:
"No! No, I loved Percy Jackson. Like, I loved it. When I stepped into Percy Jackson and got that job, I had no idea what it was. I was like, a bit part actor in New York City, you know? I was a kid, I was working at a bar, I didn't have any idea of Hollywood or of all this stuff."
"I am so excited for the kids that are going to be cast in that and how they'll inspire a new generation of young women. Like it's so cool, Annabeth is a really inspiring character to people. But no, I don't know anything about it beyond that, and I shouldn't! I was just the girl in the movie."
The Percy Jackson series is in development at Disney, with Riordan working alongside the creative team. It's also rumored that Riordan will pen most of the scripts for the show himself in hopes of a more audience-pleasing outcome than the films provided. The series has yet to announce a cast, though director James Bobin, who previously directed 2011's The Muppets, is set to helm the pilot.
As Daddario stated, Percy Jackson did help put her on the map, and her career is still going strong. Following Percy Jackson, Daddario appeared in the first season of True Detective and alongside Dwayne Johnson in both San Andreas and Baywatch. This past year, Daddario was also featured in the HBO series The White Lotus. Daddario's next project, Wildflower, a coming-of-age film, will see her sharing the screen with Jean Smart, Jacki Weaver, and Kiernan Shipka. As for the new Percy Jackson series, it looks to be eyeing a release in late 2022 or even 2023 without Daddario.
Source: WrapWomen's UnWrapped podcast