Logan Lerman Predicts New “Percy Jackson” Series Will Be a ‘Hit’ in Surprise Message to Cast: ‘The Show Looks Amazing’
Percy Jackson #PercyJackson
The actor, who played the demigod in 2010’s ‘Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief’, praised the cast of the new Disney+ series and shared his support for the show
Jon Kopaloff/Getty; Disney/David Bukach
Logan Lerman; the cast of Disney+’s ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’: Leah Jeffries, Aryan Simhadri and Walker Scobell
The new Percy Jackson and the Olympians cast got the ultimate stamp of approval from the original Percy Jackson himself.
In a surprise message, Logan Lerman — who played the demigod in the 2010 film Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief — praised the cast of the new Disney+ series as he offered his blessing on the new generation of the story.
The message was delivered by Happy Sad Confused podcast host Josh Horowitz, who was moderating a panel with the show’s creator and the author of the book, Rick Riordan, the show’s executive producer Becky Riordan, and the three leads: Walker Scobell (Percy Jackson), Leah Jeffries (Annabeth) and Aryan Simhadri (Grover).
“The show looks amazing, and I can’t wait to see you all crush it in your roles,” Horowitz said, reading from Lerman’s message. “You’re making a lot of people happy bringing these characters to life.”
Related: Walker Scobell Says Former ‘Percy Jackson’ Stars Haven’t Contacted Him: I’d Love to Hear ‘from Logan Lerman’
Disney/David Bukach
Walker Scobell in ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’
Lerman praised Scobell, 14, in particular as he said in the note, “I can’t imagine a better fit for Percy Jackson than Walker — you were so brilliant in The Adam Project.”
“Hope you like eating blue food the next few years, because I think you’ve got a hit show on your hands,” Lerman’s message concluded.
Scobell said it “definitely” felt good to hear the words of support from Lerman, 31, and he revealed that he’s never met the actor, but he recently DMed him after watching 2012’s Perks of Being a Wallflower for the first time.
“I thought it was so good that I DMed him and I told him it was good,” he admitted.
Related: Who Is Walker Scobell? All About the Percy Jackson and the Olympians Star
Kobal/Shutterstock
Logan Lerman in ‘Percy Jackson & The Olympians – The Lightning Thief’ (2010)
Related: Megan Mullally Is Fury-ous in New ‘Percy Jackson’ Trailer Packed with Mythical Foes for Teen Demigod
The new series, adapted from Rick Riordan’s best-selling series of the same name sees 12-year-old Percy Jackson learn he’s the son of Poseidon and embark on a cross-country quest to return Zeus’ stolen lightning bolt. He’s helped by Annabeth (Jeffries) and his protector, Grover (Simhadri), and the trio must outrun monsters and outwit gods to try to save his mother, according to the official synopsis.
When the show was first announced in 2022, Lerman — who played the titular role in the 2010 film and its sequel, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters — said that he wouldn’t be involved in the remake but expressed his excitement at the project.
“It’s awesome that they’re making it, and I’m excited to see them do it,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.
“Everything I’ve seen so far, peripherally, just about casting and how they’re doing it, and that Rick [Riordan] is running it, just makes me happy,” Lerman said. “It makes me happy for the fans and excited for this new generation to watch it.”
Disney/David Bukach
Aryan Simhadri, Leah Jeffries and Walker Scobell in Disney+’s ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’
After news of his casting in the lead role, Scobell told PEOPLE that he hadn’t yet heard from Lerman, nor Alexandra Daddario or Brandon T. Jackson, who played Annabeth and Grover, respectively, in the two films.
“I really hope they do [reach out]. That would be really cool,” he said. “I’d like to hear some advice from Logan Lerman. I really liked his Percy Jackson.”
Related: The Original Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief Cast: Where Are They Now?
Jeffries, though, earned a stamp of approval from Daddario, as the original Annabeth actress tweeted, “Leah Jeffries is going to be an incredible Annabeth!!!”
The young actress faced backlash after she was announced as the new face of the daughter of Athena, who is described as White in the books. She said in an Instagram video that her TikTok account had been banned due to people being upset, telling fans, “They literally took down my whole account.”
Riordan also stepped up and defended Jeffries, writing in a blog post: “I have been clear, as the author, that I was looking for the best actors to inhabit and bring to life the personalities of these characters, and that physical appearance was secondary for me.”
He continued, “As strong as Leah is, as much as we have discussed the potential for this kind of reaction and the intense pressure this role will bring, the negative comments she has received online are out of line. They need to stop. Now.”
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Percy Jackson and the Olympians is now streaming on Disney+.
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