'Percy Jackson' cast says Disney+ series captures magic of much-loved books

NEW YORK, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- The stars of the new Disney+ series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, said it was crucial to them to incorporate what book fans love about the characters, while also bringing their own personalities to the roles.

Set to premiere Wednesday, the show is based on Rick Riordan's best-selling fantasy novels about the titular tween (played by Walker Scobell, 14), who discovers he is a demi-god after the death of his human mother.

Percy is then sent to Camp Half-Blood, a sanctuary for the super-powered children of deities and humans, where he makes fast friends with Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries) and Grover (Aryan Simhadri, 17).

"We kind of tried to ground it a little bit more in real life. I think that it's really important to remember that he's still a 12-year-old kid," Walker told UPI in a recent virtual press conference, referring to how Percy has been played before in films as a teenager.

Leah, 14, said she wanted her Annabeth Chase to be a mix of the literary version of her heroine and her "natural self."

"I have a goofy side of me, but I also have that straightforward, serious, 'Let's get straight to the point [side],'" Leah added.

"Mr. Rick told us to be ourselves when we film this, so, I think that's what made the chemistry really good between all of us."

Aryan agreed.

"What I really liked about Grover is that he kind of starts out skittish, a little cowardly," Aryan said.

"[But] Grover kind of comes out of his shell a little bit more and is more willing to kind of throw himself in front of danger to protect the people that he cares about."

Walker -- who, like his co-stars, was a die-hard fan of the books before the show began -- called the experience of seeing the camp all set up in real life "surreal."

"It was really weird being there because you've been imagining it for so long and finally getting to see it is like, 'It's not real,' you know?" he said.

Leah described the show as the rare screen adaptation that faithfully recreates the magic felt by those reading the books.

"I've never seen somebody bring so much detail from a book," she said.

"When they were first like, 'OK, we're gonna bring you to Camp Half-Blood,' I was like, 'OK, cool.' And when I went there, I walked out feeling like I actually lived in that book. It was very, very surprising and very unimaginable."

The trio enjoyed working with a mostly kid cast since most of their earlier projects required them to act opposite adults.

"It's certainly made it a lot more fun because there's more kids on set," Walker said.

"I love working with adults," The Adam Project alum added. "They're great. But sometimes it's fun to have someone your own age there, like Leah or Aryan."

According to co-showrunner Jonathan Steinberg, it was easy to forget how young the actors were because they seemed so professional.

"Not just showing up for work and not just working hard, but handling really complex emotional stuff that I think is hard for any actor," he said. "It's a story about what it's like to hurt people you love, what it's like to be in a complicated relationship with a parent."

Co-showrunner Dan Shotz noted these youthful collaborators also brought a contagious enthusiasm to the production.

"Even though they were such pros the entire time, they just brought such a joy to the making of it, to the set, being silly, having a good time, coming with the greatest energy every day," Shots said.

"The entire crew just felt it and was having a ball the entire time we were making it."

Steinberg said the cast and crew wanted to be "extremely respectful" of the source material, which was penned by Riordan, who serves an executive producer on the show.

"You also, at the same time, have to not be afraid of it," Steinberg added.

"You commit to telling a story about this kid and trying to figure out how he and his friends are going to get through this and making the story work on its own two feet," he said. "It's a constant balancing act."