Episode #111 – Fresh Percy Sass

Dec 17, 2023, 05:06 PM

Prophecy Radio episode #111 is our biggest and best episode yet. After attending several press conferences during Percy Jackson and the Olympians press week, we break down all the new information and behind-the-scenes stories. We also got to watch the first two episodes of the show, so we give you our spoiler-free thoughts on our initial reactions. December 20 is fast approaching! New episodes of Prophecy Radio air weekly, and we keep our discussions PG-13.

News and Updates (00:01:43)

Percy Jackson and the Olympians press week (00:27:50)

  • We’ve got A LOT of interviews to cover, so sit back and enjoy our breakdown of the highlights. (You can also read the accompanying article.)
  • First up, we’ve got showrunners Jon Steinberg and Dan Shotz, plus Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries, and Aryan Simhadri.
  • How familiar were the kids with the books?
  • How did they make these characters their own?
  • Which scenes best showcased Percabeth?
  • What was it like being on the Camp Half-Blood set?
  • Someone asked Walker if he was going to be in Deadpool 3!
  • What aspect of their own personalities did they put into their characters?
  • Which scenes were they most excited to film?
  • How much babysitting did Aryan have to do!?
  • How did they toe the line between being faithful to the books and bringing this story to life in a different medium?
  • What did they take home from the set? (Aryan’s answer got us VERY excited.)
  • What did Walker learn from his co-stars?
  • Our friends at Monster Donut Podcast got to ask what their favorite myths are.
  • There were several questions about being faithful to the books, and we love Jon and Dan’s answers.
  • Next up, we got to talk to Jeff White, the visual effects supervisor for Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
  • How did the team make the world of Percy Jackson stand out?
  • What creature did they have the most fun creating?
  • We get some really cool behind-the-scenes information about how Chiron was brought to life.
  • We also learned how much Aryan did to bring Grover to the small screen.
  • Jeff also talked about the Volume stage and how integral it was to creating the world of Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
  • He also told us a few fun stories about figuring out different ways to bring aspects of the story alive, like Riptide and Iris Messaging.
  • What drew Jeff to this project?
  • Time and time again, everyone said how often they’d go back to the books for inspiration!
  • Next up, we heard from set designer Dan Henna and costume designer Tish Monaghan.
  • They both talk about their process for expanding on what was given in the books.
  • We also learn how they both helped bring Camp Half-Blood to life.
  • Hearing about Alecto’s transformation really added to our feelings about the scene.
  • There was so much talk about Medusa’s portrayal, and we’re even more excited to see her on screen now.
  • And who can forget about the Lotus Hotel and Casino?
  • They both describe their favorite costumes and sets.
  • Again, the constant mantra on set was “go back to the book.”
  • Lastly, we also got to hear from Rick and Becky Riordan!
  • There was lots of talking about refreshing the story and doing some things Rick wished he would’ve done 20 years ago.
  • They also talk about how they just knew when they found the trio.
  • There were no pre-conceived notions about who would be cast as the gods.
  • Becky commented on the fact that they got to expand upon Luke’s motivations.
  • We also learn about some moments from the series that can’t be found in the book.
  • They didn’t want slapstick comedy, but there are still plenty of laughs.
  • It’s important that the show feels modern and timeless.
  • We can’t wait to learn more about Sally and Poseidon’s relationship!
  • Did you know that Rick and Becky didn’t go see Camp Half-Blood until it was all finished?
  • We were so excited to learn how important Becky was to the process of adapting the series.
  • Seaweed Brain Podcast got to ask them if Percabeth was the greatest love story of all time!
  • Would we want to see a Percy Jackson and the Olympians musical episode?
  • We’ll have more to discuss next week! Be sure to leave us your thoughts!
Percy Jackson and the Olympians episodes 1 and 2 spoiler-free review (02:12:21)

  • We got to see Percy Jackson and the Olympians episodes 1 and 2 ahead of the premiere date and WE’RE SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS SHOW.
  • First, we have to give you our overall thoughts, which is that we absolutely loved the episodes we got to see.
  • The quality of the show is immaculate, between the set production, the costuming, and the visual effects.
  • It’s also extremely accurate to the source material!
  • Anything they changed was small-scale, and felt logical for the tone of the story.
  • Seeing Camp Half-Blood was surreal, and the Big House was beautiful!
  • It was amazing that they somehow made everyone look like individuals despite all wearing the same shirts.
  • And Chiron and Mr. D’s costumes were perfect and fit them so well.
  • We talk more about the dryad that Tish Monaghan mentioned.
  • Okay, but now we need to get into our thoughts on everyone’s performances.
  • Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson is literally perfect. He OWNS this character.
  • We also can’t get enough of Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth Chase.
  • She’s silent a lot through her scenes, but she says SO MUCH.
  • And then there’s Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood.
  • He’s got great chemistry with Walker, and his comedic timing is also genius.
  • But we were super impressed by Virginia Kull as Sally Jackson.
  • And no one will be surprised that Jason Mantzoukas is the perfect Dionysus.
  • And the same goes for Glynn Turman as Chiron, who is more perfect than anyone could’ve dreamed.
  • This is, without a doubt, the Percy Jackson and the Olympians adaptation that we’ve always dreamed of.
Feedback (02:42:58)

  • Mac wants to know if CRITICS will enjoy the show?
  • Ark is curious if there are some fan-favorite quotes that made it into the series.
  • Dr. Tiezn needs to know more about Camp Half-Blood coming to life.
  • Solomon’s son wants to know if the show is accurate to the book.
  • Meanwhile, Ennis is worried about Grover’s hair.
  • We also hear from Rebeca, who talks about Chalice of the Gods and might start her own podcast in Spanish!
  • Darcy also writes in to tell us which Rick Riordan Presents book are currently optioned and at which streaming services.
  • Stick around for our updated schedule!
Thanks for listening, and tune in next time for episode 112, in which we’ll discuss Percy Jackson and the Olympians episode 1 in all its glory!

This episode’s hosts are: Karen Rought and Kristen Kranz.

Each episode, our Prophecy Radio hosts and their guests will keep you up to date on the latest information coming out of Camp Half-Blood, including upcoming books and adaptation news, discuss a topic of choice, and do a chapter by chapter reread of the Percy Jackson series.

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