Hold up a damn minute.
As Walker Scobell and the rest of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians cast begin to tease Season 3 of the Disney+ drama, they are also teasing some changes to the original source material, a.k.a. The Titan’s Curse, the third book in the Rick Riordan series. Specifically, Scobell is warning viewers that the fan-favorite character Rachel Elizabeth Dare may not have the same iconic entrance in the show that she does in the book.
“Things change sometimes when you do an adaptation, and some things aren’t always in the same spot that you think they would be,” Scobell, who plays the titular son of Poseidon in the series, told DECIDER on the carpet at San Diego Comic Con. “That’s all I’m going to say.”
“That sounds like a prophecy,” responded Aryan Simhadri, the actor who plays Grover Underwood, Percy’s satyr best friend.
In the book series, Rachel Elizabeth Dare makes her first appearance inside the bathroom at the Hoover Dam, where Percy nearly kills her accidentally as he’s running from monsters. While Rachel is a mortal who cannot be injured by Riptide — the pen/sword Percy carries on him at all times — she is able to see through the Mist and recognize Percy is carrying a weapon, which confounds him. The moment is simply a tease for the character’s bigger role in the fourth book, The Battle of the Labyrinth. DECIDER will abstain from spoiling it for anyone, but safe to say there’s a reason she can see the truth of Percy’s beloved blade, and more will be revealed down the line.
Despite Scobell and Simhadri teasing a change from the book during their Hall H panel on Thursday, the cast and producers teased an incredibly book-accurate adaptation for the show’s third season; which they confirmed would begin streaming in November. The panel’s moderator even joked that Scobell — notoriously a fan of the eponymous books and never shy to point out the differences — called it the “most” accurate adaptation from the source material.
During the panel, series EP Dan Shotz joked that all of their scenes are “book accurate” and revealed that even when they deviate, they coordinate with Riordan to ensure his original vision remains intact. Shotz also shared that while the book does not explore much of where and what Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries) is up to after being kidnapped by Luke (Charlie Bushnell), the show will “expand the world” and follow her struggles.
As far as casting goes, Rachel Elizabeth Dare isn’t the only one fans are sitting around waiting on. In The Titan’s Curse, fans are also introduced to the new boyfriend of Sally Jackson (Virginia Kull), a.k.a. Paul Blofis. Disappointingly, Disney has yet to announce casting news for that role. So, what do the producers have to say about these two major characters not having been revealed yet?
“You are correct, there are a couple of announcements that have not been made,” Percy Jackson EP Craig Silverstein told DECIDER in a backstage interview, trying carefully to avoid spoiling the casting or inclusion of characters like Rachel Elizabeth Dare or Paul Blofis.
“I don’t know if we want to say too much, or exactly how we’re using those characters, but they are important characters to the series as a whole,” added Shotz. “There are a couple of significant roles we’re holding back on sharing with people.”
On the flip side, the show has already revealed their Hera (Ming-Na Wen), Demeter (Jennifer Beals), Apollo (Hubert Smielecki), Artemis (Dafne Keen), Atlas (Holt McCallany), and Frederick Chase (Jesse L. Martin). During the panel, Silverstein and Shotz also confirmed that the series has found and cast their Hercules — who is teased with Zoë Nightshade’s (Saara Chaudry) storyline — and more will be revealed in Season 3 and beyond. Here’s to waiting just a few more months for answers!
Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 3 arrives on Disney+ on November 20.
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