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Lance Reddick and Toby Stephens have been cast as Zeus and Poseidon, respectively, in the upcoming Percy Jackson series on Disney+.
The upcoming Percy Jackson and the Olympians series has been keeping two major cast members under wraps, but no longer. It was announced today via Variety that Lance Reddick (John Wick) and Toby Stephens (Black Sails) have joined the Percy Jackson series as Zeus and Poseidon, respectively.
Based on the Rick Riordan series of novels of the same name, Percy Jackson and the Olympians stars Walker Scobell as the titular 12-year old demi-god as he is “just coming to terms with his newfound divine powers when the sky god Zeus accuses him of stealing his master lightning bolt. With help from his friends Grover and Annabeth, Percy must embark on an adventure of a lifetime to find it and restore order to Olympus.” Toby Stephens will guest star as Poseidon, God of the Sea and father of Percy. “Although seemingly absent in Percy’s life, many of Poseidon’s qualities live in Percy; stubbornness, impulsiveness and loyalty,” reads the official description. “Though he has stayed away throughout Percy’s life, his deep feelings for his son (and Percy’s mother, Sally) are evident.” Lance Reddick’s Zeus is described as “The all-powerful god of the sky and leader of Mount Olympus, Zeus is tempestuous and mistrustful. He’s promised to wage a war if his stolen thunderbolt is not returned.“
In a post on his site, Rick Riordan revealed that principal photography of the first season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians is nearly complete and praised the latest additions to the cast. “In all his roles, Lance projects an aura of authority and power that makes him perfect for the king of Olympus,” Riordan wrote of Reddick’s casting. “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. If you were Zeus, king of the gods, and you could be anyone you wanted, you would definitely choose to be Lance Reddick.” The Percy Jackson creator added that Toby Stephens’ performance as Poseidon on the series is incredible. “When he delivered some of Poseidon’s iconic lines, I got chills,” Riordan wrote. “And seeing him and Walker together, you can absolutely believe they are father and son. 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 the tear one another apart. Lance and Toby absolutely have that godly aura.”
While Rick Riordan has some harsh words for the Percy Jackson movies, he seems quite optimistic about the Disney+ series. “If you’re a fan of the books or even if you just love a good adventure, you are going to love this show,” Riordan wrote. “We still have months and months of post-production work to do, but the team is wrapping up in Vancouver with a sense of pride and accomplishment.“
Percy Jackson and the Olympians doesn’t have an official release date yet.
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