Disney+ officially casting the main character in its Percy Jackson TV show

Disney is busy making tons of Star Wars and Marvel series for Disney+, but that’s not the only iron they have in the fire. The studio is also making a TV adaptation of Percy Jackson & the Olympians, the five-book fantasy series by author Rick Riordan.

The first couple Percy Jackson books were turned into movies some years back, to a full-throated “meh” from fans and critics alike. Since then, TV has become a viable option for projects like this, and it’s Riordan’s hope that all five books can be adapted across five seasons of television.

But first things first: they need to find someone to play Percy Jackson himself, an ordinary kid who finds out that he’s actually the son of the Greek god Poseidon. “The casting process is now in its earliest stages,” Riordan writes on his website. “I want to stress this is a preliminary search. We still have a long way to go before anything is official or confirmed, but this is definitely an indication that things are going in the right direction. We continue to have a lot of positive momentum behind the project and are excited to move forward!”

Riordan also outlined a few things about what Disney is looking for:

• Disney wants someone who can “play 12.” So the actor doesn’t necessarily have to be 12, but they have to look like it. “[T]he goal is to stay true to the original story and have Percy’s character age from 12 to 16 over the course of the TV series,” Riordan writes.
• The “big three” roles of this show are Percy, Annabeth and Grover. They’ll get to the other characters, but Percy is the first box to check.
• The actor cast as Percy doesn’t have to be of any particular ethnicity. Disney will follow company policy: “We are committed to diverse, inclusive casting. 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.”

Can I audition to play Percy Jackson?

Finally, yes, you can audition yourself (or your child). Click here to find out the process of submitting a tape.

There’s no release date for the Percy Jackson show yet, but obviously things are on the move.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels