Rick Riordan has strong words for fans upset with thecasting of"Percy Jackson and the Olympians," an upcoming Disney+ show based on his book series of the same name. But this will be an adaptation that I am proud of, and which fully honors the spirit of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, taking the bedtime story I told my son twenty years ago to make him feel better about being neurodivergent, and improving on it so that kids all over the world can continue to see themselves as heroes at Camp Half-Blood. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. Leah Jeffries is Annabeth Chase. The casting of Leah Jeffries as Annabeth Chase in the upcoming Percy Jackson and the Olympians series resulted in some backlash from book fans regarding race Author Rick Riordan, who wrote the original Percy Jackson novels, released a statement on his website defending the young actress. And by the way, these criticisms have come from across the political spectrum, right and left.. But following last weeks announcement that actress Leah Sava Jeffries was cast as the series deuteragonist and love interest Annabeth Chase, (@camphalfblood) May 10, 2022. ", "If you don't get that, if you're still upset about the casting of this marvelous trio, then it doesn't matter how many times you have read the books. From the outset of casting for the Disney+ series, Rick says he made it On April 11th, Walker Scobell was introduced to the world as our new Percy. Jeffries also reaffirmed her confidence in herself, and thanked the supportive fans for their positive comments. What We Know About Disney+s Show Her casting as Annabeth Chase was announced in May 2022, along with the announcement of the casting of Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood. Additionally, it was announced that Walker Scobell will be playing the titular character back in April 2022. The movie is slated for an August 2022 release. In fact, it happens almost every time a traditionally white character is played by a Black actress. These thoughts are mine alone. Now. Along the way, he gains two main friends, Annabeth, daughter of Athena, and Grover, his satyr protector. Once you see Leah as Annabeth, she will become exactly the way you imagine Annabeth, assuming you give her that chance, but you refuse to credit that this may be true, he wrote. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Why does no one seem to care that much? Whatever else you take from this post, we should be able to agree that bullying and harassing a child online is inexcusably wrong. Many non-Black people can wrap their minds around a Black villain just not a Black good guy. Meanwhile, Jaffries will portray Annabeth, a brilliant strategist and a daughter of Athena. At first, there was nothing but excitement. NY 10036. 'It is not racist to want an actor who is accurate to the books description of the character!' Now. This was the moment of redemption that everyone had been waiting for. Not even 24 hours after the worst of the attacks had begun, Riordan published a blog post where he called the trolling what it was, racist, and demanded that it stopped. For every role, please submit qualified performers without regard to disability, gender, race and ethnicity, age, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other basis prohibited by law. THEY ARE CHILDREN GIVE THEM LOVE INSTEAD BC THEYRE THE PERFECT CASTING FOR THE PERCY JACKSON TV SHOW., A REMINDER THAT NO HATE FOR WALKER SCOBELL, LEAH SAVA JEFFRIES, AND ARYAN SIMHADRI ARE ALLOWED THEY ARE CHILDREN GIVE THEM LOVE INSTEAD BC THEY'RE THE PERFECT CASTING FOR THE PERCY JACKSON TV SHOW . Two-thirds of the main trio would no longer be white like they had once been in the books. 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Even now, Thompson still faces intense criticism while Elba was eventually accepted as Heimdall. He stated his intent to cast the series without regard for factors like ethnicity and gender, and that Leah Jeffries was the best actress to embody Annabeths strength. Riordan also called out the racism displayed by fans, and declared it to be the real reason behind the bullying. You feel I must have been coerced, brainwashed, bribed, threatened, whatever, or I as a white male author never would have chosen a Black actor for the part of this canonically white girl. Luckily, that hasnt stopped Disney from continuing to diversify its screen projects, as evidenced by Percy Jackson and the Olympians. 2013 saw the release of a sequel that garnered an even worse reception. In fact, this should be the norm. People could not wrap their heads around a Black figure in Norse mythology the same mythos in which Loki gives birth to a horse. ", Later in the letter, Riordan argues, "The core message of Percy Jackson has always been that difference is strength. Aryan Simhadri and Walker Scobell had also been cast for the new series. Thompson remarked that she had to weather the storm and just act through it. Daddario has already given the new series her blessing, but after the news went public that Leah Jeffries' casting sparked negative reactions and insults on her social media accounts, Alexandra Daddario stepped up to cheer her on, though without addressing any of the blowback directly. "Leah brings so much energy and enthusiasm to this role, so much of Annabeths strength. On January 25th, 2022, author Rick Riordan announced that his first television series was finally greenlit by Disney+ and would soon be gracing our screens. Its a In 2012, Amandla Stenberg was cast as Rue Barnette in The Hunger Games. The response to the casting of Leah has been overwhelmingly positive and joyous, as it should be. Its either something we recognize and try to work on, or its something we deny. In the second film, Alexandra dyed her hair blonde to resemble Annabeth more. A number of fans objected to the African-American actress being cast in the role. Aryan Simhadri (Disneys Spin) and Leah Sava Jeffries (Empire) will join the show as Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase, respectively. Dior is not as big as Clarisse was described in the book. We did that. Annabeth Chase Is Black Now, Deal With It: How Race-Bending Gives Way to Misogynoir. If I may quote from an excellent recent article in the Boston Globe about Dr. Khama Ennis, who created a program on implicit bias for the Massachusetts Board of Registration for Medicine in Boston: To say a person doesnt have bias is to say that person isnt human. WebPercy Jackson Author Shuts Down Backlash to Casting Black Actress as Annabeth Chase: Friends, That Is Racism 10 May 2022 by Andi Ortiz The Wrap Rick Riordan will not stand Here's What You Can Do To Fix Them, Charlize Theron and Jisoo Wow at Diors Fall-Winter 2023 Womens Show in Paris, Mayfair Witches: Jack Huston Talks Show vs. Book Lasher in Season 1 Finale, 'Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches' Season 1 Finale Recap: The Prophecy Is All Relative, The Mysterious Benedict Society Canceled By Disney+ After 2 Seasons, Why 23 Jump Street Never Happened (Is There Still A Chance? The Percy Jackson backlash is similar to what Halle Bailey experienced when she was cast as Ariel in the live-action The Little Mermaid. Another critique Ive seen about the Annabeth casting has been why race-bend one character when we can create new Black characters? I counter with this question: why must they be mutually exclusive? YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. Riordan noted that he made quite clear a year ago that when he began his hunt for actors in the highly anticipated project, we would be following Disneys company policy on nondiscrimination before providing what that entails: We are committed to diverse, inclusive casting. 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. Sign up to receive The Atlanta Black Star Newsletter in your inbox. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. By submitting your email, you agree to our, Disneys Percy Jackson show casts two more main characters, Sign up for the The character could not be Biracial. and The Doobie Brothers have nothing in common - except great books out this week, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Uncle Rick officially welcomes them to the Percy Jackson cast. "Watch the show or don't. That should mean something. The conversation turned odious enough for the creative to create a post on his website calling for the end of the harassment the young actor has faced. May 5th was D-Day. newsletter, recently welcomed the two new cast members on his blog, Every movie and show coming to Netflix in March, All the big new games coming out in March, Pokemon Go leader counters for Sierra, Arlo, and Cliff in March 2023, Pokmon Go Rocket Giovanni counters, team in March 2023, PlayStation VR 2 games releasing in March, all upcoming titles for 2023, The official BTS Lego set is now available. Watch the show or dont. Eli Lilly cuts insulin prices up to 70% amid federal pressure to lower costs of life-saving medication, Joshua Cohen's 'The Netanyahus,' more awarded 2022 Pulitzer Prizes in books, drama, music, Notorious B.I.G. Alexandra Daddario originally portrayed the role of Annabeth in Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, as well as its sequel The Sea of Monsters. It is only natural that a new generation of kids will get to see themselves in these characters now. May 10, 2022 Shannen Michaelsen Last week, it was announced that Leah Sava Jeffries would portray Annabeth Chase and Aryan Simhadri would portray Grover In fact, when the author himself says that you have misunderstood the character as he wrote her, then you know youre wrong. WebBest of 2022 Oscars Best Picture Winners Best Picture Winners Emmys STARmeter Awards San Diego Comic-Con New York Comic-Con Sundance Film Festival Toronto Int'l Film First, let me be clear I am speaking here only for myself," Riordan clarified.