Percy Jackson and the Olympians: who is TV series cast star Walker Scobell - and possible Disney Plus release

Up and coming teenage actor Walker Scobell has been named as titular character in the new Percy Jackson TV series.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which will be shown on Disney+, is based on Rick Riordan’s best-selling Percy Jackson book series.

Who is Walker Scobell, who else in the cast and when can we expect it on our screens?

Here’s what you need to know.

What is Percy Jackson and the Olympians about?

The new TV show is based on the five-part Percy Jackson book series written by author Rick Riordan.

The books, which were published between 2005 and 2009, have sold millions of copies worldwide - and the first two have already been adapted into films.

They are about the adventures of the demigod children of Greek gods and goddesses, who go to a summer camp called Camp Half-Blood, and are set in a world where Greek myths are real.

The central character is Percy Jackson, who starts the series as a 12-year-old boy. By the final book he is aged 16 and has to make an important decision that affects the whole world. He is accompanied on all of his adventures by best friends Annabeth and Grover.

Scobell follows in the footsteps of American actor Logan Lerman, who played Percy Jackson in both films; Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (2010) and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013).

Who is Walker Scobell?

Walker Scobell is an emerging actor, currently best known for his role as young Adam in Netflix film The Adam Project.

The film, which was released last month, stars Ryan Renoylds as Big Adam, a time-traveling fighter pilot who has to team up with his 12-year-old self to save the future.

Scobell is also set to star in action film Secret Headquarters, which is due for release later this year.

He is 13-years-old and is said to have fallen in love with acting when he was at school.

Author Rick Riordan said Scobell is a “super fan” of the Percy Jackson books.

Who announced Walker Scobell’s casting in the show?

Author Rick Riordan announced Scobell’s casting on his website.

On a post from 11 April with the headline ‘Meet Percy Jackson’, Riordan described Scobell as “an incredibly talented young man”.

He said: “Walker Scobell is an incredibly talented young man who blew us away with his audition tapes for the role of Percy.

“Many of you recently discovered how great Walker is when you watched his movie The Adam Project, in which Walker lit up the screen as a younger version of Ryan Reynolds’ character.

“We were fortunate enough to audition Walker months before that movie came out, but the film only confirmed what we already knew about his talent.

“It was obvious to me and the rest of the team that Walker had the perfect mix of comedic timing, sweetness, rebelliousness, snark and heroism to embody our hero Percy Jackson.”

Riordan revealed that he and his wife Becky told Scobell that he had got the role via Zoom call on 28 January.

He said that Scobell did not know that the video call was taking place but was wearing a Percy Jackson T-shirt, which Riordan said was “just him repping his love for the series”.

Who else is in the cast of the TV show?

No other cast members for the show have yet been revealed.

In his post, Riordan revealed that Scobell had read scripts with the actors who are in the running to play Percy’s best friends Annabeth and Grover, but did not reveal who these actors are.

He said : “We’ve gotten to see Walker do numerous chemistry reads with candidates for our other two leads, Annabeth and Grover, and I’m confident those two roles are getting very close to being finalised and announced.”

He added: “More news soon, but please give Walker a huge welcome. He is going to surpass your highest expectations from the very first line of the show.”

You can read Rick Riordan’s full statement on his website.

When will the show be on Disney+?

No release date has been announced for the TV show Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

According to IMDB, the show is in pre-production and will be released in 2023.

Riordan also revealed in his statement that filming will begin in Vancouver, Canada, this summer.

Disney+ announced it had picked up the show in January 2022, and the series has been in development since May 2020.

What have fans said about Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson?

Since Riordan broke the news of Scobell’s casting, fans have been sharing their delight on Twitter.

West Side Story actress Rachel Zegler was among those giving her opinion.

She said: “I have never been prouder of someone I do not know than I am for that sweet young man playing Percy Jackson.

“He is brilliant and lovely in The Adam Project and he will be brilliant in this series, too. So happy for him.”

Scobell’s The Adam project co-star Ryan Reynolds also tweeted his congratulations.

He said: “I guess this makes me older Percy Jackson? Congrats Walker Scobell! You were always a demigod in my mind. #PercyJackson”

Fans of the book series were also delighted with the news.

One said: “Walker is the perfect Percy.”

An Twitter user said: “I loved Walker Scobell in #TheAdamProject & I can’t wait to see him as Percy Jackson in Percy Jackson And The Olympians on Disney+! He’s gonna be incredible!”

Another said: “So excited, OMG!!! Congratulations to Walker!! I could not be happier that a kid who’s a fan of the books himself gets to be Percy.”

.