Percy Jackson and the Olympians author Rick Riordan has revealed that he has visited the studio where the Disney+ series will be filmed, teasing the series' sets. Riordan wrote the bestselling novel series that is heavily inspired by Greek Mythology. The series was previously adapted into two films, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, by 20th Century Fox, both of which recieved mixed reviews.

Starting in 2005, Percy Jackson and the Olympians follows the titular twelve year-old as he grows up and discovers during a summer break that he is the demigod child of Poseidon. Pulled into a world he didn't know existed, Percy attends Camp Half-Blood alongside other demi-god teens before being swept up in his own epic quest that sees him come face to face with the monsters and deities of Greek Mythology. After much speculation, Disney revealed they would be bringing the series to Disney+, confirming the Percy Jackson series would move forward in January 2022. With Riordan and showrunners Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz set to begin production this summer, the author teased the worlds they hope to bring to life.

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On his official website, Riordan discussed the current state of production on the series, discussing his recent travels that saw him travel to L.A. and Vancouver. Revealing that the series would film in the Canadian city at Mammoth Studios, Riordan teased that sets were currently under construction, stating that though he couldn't share any photos of the set, he was incredibly pleased with the work being done. Riordan also visited the production office, revealing that costume and production designers Tish Monaghan and Dan Hennah were referencing the illustrated edition of Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief, stating their work was faithful but also fresh for longtime fans. Check out Riordan's recollection below.

"I would love to show you what the rest of the room looks like, but that is top secret, and it would melt your mind if you saw what the crews are constructing for us. For now you’ll just have to trust me: I got the full tour, and I was blown away.

After touring the stages, we explored the Percy production offices, where prep work is underway for the show. We met our costume designer Tish Monaghan, who was reading through the illustrated Lightning Thief to brainstorm for costume ideas (good move!) and Dan Hennah, our production designer, whose team is busy creating the visual world in which Percy will travel. His office walls are covered with beautiful artwork of places you would recognize from The Lightning Thief: Mount Olympus, the Underworld, Aunty Em’s, Sally Jackson’s apartment, and many more, all done in a way that is true to the story, but also fresh and exciting. Dan Hennah, by the way, is from New Zealand, and spent the past few decades working on the Lord of the Rings with Peter Jackson, so Dan knows a few things about bringing magical worlds to life."

In the same post, Riordan revealed that casting was underway for Percy and his two friends, daughter of Athena Annabeth Chase, and Satyr Drover Underwood. During his visit to Disney Studios in Burbank, Riordan stated he took part in various in-person chemistry reads for the three characters, seeing how different combinations of potential cast members would work best with one another. In the post, Riordan praised not only the young actors auditioning for the role, but casting director Denise Chamain, her team, and pilot episode director James Bobin for their work in the auditions.

There is both anticipation and concern over the Disney+ series, as despite the original novels being a popular hit, Percy Jackson has never been too successful when brought to screen. Both of 20th Century Fox's films were critiqued for their unfaithful adaptations of the story, with Riodan heavily criticizing the scripts and later disowning them. As filming on Percy Jackson is scheduled to start in June 2022, hearing that Riordan is heavily involved and is praising the work being done is a promising sign to fans looking forward to Percy Jackson and the Olympians on Disney+.

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Source: Rick Riordan