Riordan made a point to clarify that he was not instructed by Disney or anyone else on who he should pick to play the beloved half-bloods. On Tuesday, the author issued a lengthy statement defending the casting of Leah Jeffries as Annabeth Chase. By Aaron Perine 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Meanwhile, Jaffries will portray Annabeth, a brilliant strategist and a daughter of Athena. All rights reserved. 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. Rick Riordan, the author of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, is speaking out against racist backlash from fans upset with the casting of Leah Jeffries as Annabeth Chase in the upcoming Disney+ adaptation. You have it. Without having seen her play the part, you have pre-judged her (pre + judge = prejudice) and decided she must have been hired simply to fill a quota or tick a diversity box. Let's examine that statement. I am so excited for the kids that are going to be cast in that and how theyll inspire a new generation of young women. The only other thing she has is her wisdom and her ambition. Leahs Annabeth Chase is a true daughter of the Greek goddess Athena, who is a brilliant strategist with an active and curious mind. You will receive a verification email shortly. These thoughts are mine alone. That should mean something. Thats your call. In the movie version, the characters were portrayed by Brandon T. Jackson and Alexandra Daddario. 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. This is not unique to the Percy Jackson fandom. Leah Jeffries is Annabeth Chase. last updated May 12, 2022 Percy Jackson film vet Alexandra Daddario has weighed in. They claim that Annabeths story was about overcoming the dumb blonde stereotype in a world full of brunettes. Dior herself has mentioned that she is in the gym, as if that matters. That neurodivergent kid who has failed out of six schools, for instance, may well be the son of Poseidon. They need to stop. We did that. She is a Black girl playing someone who was described in the books as whitethat is racism.#LeahIsOurAnnabeth Read Ricks statement at the link below:https://t.co/DGeOzrjZuw. Friends, that is racism. Like its so cool, Annabeth is a really inspiring character to people, she said. How The Mandalorian Wrote Out Gina Carano Is Cara Dune Still Alive? The Chris Columbus-directed film was greeted with a lukewarm reception from critics and even worse reactions from devout fans of the series. The character of Aquaman has historically been white with blond hair and blue eyes. If you have a problem with this casting, however, take it up with me. Who would be Grover? What much of this outcry boils down to is fan entitlement, anti-blackness, and misogynoir. We should be able to agree that bullying and harassing a child online is inexcusably wrong, Riordan wrote. It was groundbreaking, yes, but calls of gingercide and intense hate were thrown at Patton. A weekly roundup of the best things from Polygon. Hopefully, hearing from the previous live-action Annabeth may help to quiet the naysayers, as unlikely as that may be. From the outset of casting for the Disney+ series, Rick says he made it The core message of Percy Jackson has always been that difference is strength. New York, She does not have superpowers like her closest friends. If they could act, Disney wanted their tapes. You refuse to believe me, the guy who wrote the books and created these characters, when I say that these actors are perfect for the roles because of the talent they bring and the way they used their auditions to expand, improve and electrify the lines they were given. "Leah brings so much energy and enthusiasm to this role, so much of Annabeths strength. Rather than finding excitement in the concept of new interpretations of classic characters, social media trolls tend to share negative critiques without seeing the finished product first, and in this case share them before filming has even started. "Watch the show or don't. 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 They say that they could not picture Annabeth as Black, however for myself and many other Black women she was never anything other than that. Uncle Rick officially welcomes them to the Percy Jackson cast. Alexandra Daddario Supports Percy Jackson Series Casting Of Annabeth Role As Leah Jeffries Speaks Out About Online Bullying, Hoda Kotb Absent From Today Due To Family Health Matter, Savannah Guthrie Still Out After Positive Covid Test, Hoda Kotb's Today Absence Due to 'Family Health Matter', iPhone GIFs Not Working? On April 11th, Walker Scobell was introduced to the world as our new Percy. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy. ", The author added that those saying Jeffries doesn't fit the role because she's not white are dismissing her "years of hard work honing her craft, her talent, her tenacity, her focus, her screen presence. The relatively muted outrage can be attributed to a lack of enthusiasm surrounding the character. His blonde hair was a negligible non-issue that was largely brushed aside. I have been clear, as the author, that I was looking for the best actors to inhabit and bring to life the personalities of these characters, and that physical appearance was secondary for me. 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. And now, at least on Disney+, she always will be. In the books, Rue was a dark-skinned Black girl, and Amandla is light-skinned. Actress Alexandra Daddario has weighed in on the backlash against Leah Jeffries casting as Annabeth Chase in the upcoming Disney+ show Percy Jackson and the Olympians. You didn't learn anything from them," the creator notes. By submitting your email, you agree to our, Disneys Percy Jackson show casts two more main characters, Sign up for the This trio is the best. This was the moment of redemption that everyone had been waiting for. No actor should have to bear their job. She is not a woman. Now.. main love interest for Percy. And not just white people like me. 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You would think the protest of her character would be on the basis of the colorist casting. The films were considered flops after disappointing performances at the box office and poor critical reception (which was why we didnt see more of them), but they've attained a fandom nonetheless. First, let me be clear I am speaking here only for myself. Cinemablend is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. You should never judge someone by how well they fit your preconceived notions. But I am not racist, you say. You either are not aware, or have dismissed, Leahs years of hard work honing her craft, her talent, her tenacity, her focus, her screen presence, Riordan wrote. In the replies to that announcement, there were people commenting on her race and body type. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. Riordan saidhis goal with casting was to find performers who could "inhabit and bring to life the personalities of these characters" regardless of what they looked like. In the book, Gabe is also described as fat. Thompson remarked that she had to weather the storm and just act through it. The Wise Girl has arrived!. There is power in plurality. Lets not even get into the complete disregard of the story from the source material. newsletter, Destiny 2 power level guide, all caps and Powerful and Pinnacle gear sources explained, The best way to increase your Power level in Destiny 2s new Lightfall expansion, Marvel still doesnt know what to do with its most popular hero, Spider-Man, Spider-Man endures, almost in spite of many Spider-Man stories, Sign up for the Rick Riordan made a promise that he was going to try to keep the spirit of his books alive with young actors who would be accurate to the ages of the characters. The common narrative being used to justify the backlash against Jeffries is that she is not blonde. She is a Black girl playing someone who was described in the books as white. Without having seen her play the part, you have pre-judged her (pre + judge = prejudice) and decided she must have been hired simply to fill a quota or tick a diversity box. Its a Her story is one of constant heartbreak, but also unflinching resilience and triumphs. You didnt learn anything from them. Why can we not have both brand new characters and race-bend whatever characters we want? And it seems for the most part that fans (and Alexandra Daddario) cant wait to see Leah Jeffries play everyones favorite daughter of Athena. "If you have a problem with this casting, however, take it up with me. She also starred in the comedy Rel on the same network. Why does no one seem to care that much? The author noted, We did that, and The casting process was long, intense, massive and exhaustive.. Racism/colorism isnt something we have or dont have. Two-thirds of the main trio would no longer be white like they had once been in the books. Its either something we recognize and try to work on, or its something we deny. The fact of the matter is that people should not be harassing Leah Jeffries and getting her TikTok removed because they feel a disconnect between her and a fictional book character. It's a shame such posts need to be written, but they do. People cannot fathom that Black actresses, who auditioned for a role, were better than the white people who tried out. Its a shame such posts need to be written, but they do. 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The casting process was long, intense, massive and exhaustive. Will Alert: Missing Persons Unit Be Renewed For Season 2 On Fox After Finale? And before you resort to the old kneejerk reaction I am not racist! lets examine that statement too. Elba himself has described playing Heimdall as torture. Rick Riordan and the rest of the Percy Jackson crew immediately came out against the racist trolls. From look I didnt want to be a half-blood, I was hooked. IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. Yara Shahidi Stars as Tinker Bell In New 'Peter Pan & Wendy' Trailer - Watch Here! 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 . Alexandra Daddario and author Rick Riordan sent support to Leah Jeffries amid fan backlash to the young actress being cast on the upcoming "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series on Disney+. Oops. Thank you for signing up to CinemaBlend. Rick Riordan went out looking for the most talented actors to portray the characters that he wrote and when he found them, they just so happened to not be white. Thu, 05 May 2022 at 6:56 pm Tweet Who Is Leah Sava Jeffries? She revealed in an Instagram live session that she was even driven to delete her TikTok account after receiving such hateful messages. In fact, it happens almost every time a traditionally white character is played by a Black actress. Leah Jeffires definitely isnt the first Black actress to be the target of racist commenters after being cast in a role that was initially written as and played by a white person. Jeffries also received support from Percy Jackson alumni Alexandra Daddario, who formerly held the role of Chase in a previous adaptation. Rick Riordan created Percy Jackson and the Olympians as a way for his son to see himself in the neurodiverse characters of the world. 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. Nevertheless, when Idris Elba was cast as Heimdall in Thor, a similarly undervalued character, the backlash was horrific. They need to stop. The same cannot be said for the comments under Dior Goodjohns casting announcement. Everyone was talking about the show; Percy trended on Twitter all day. However, like clockwork, racist trolls came out of every dank corner of the Internet. Her fellow district member Thresh Morrowson was played by dark-skinned actor Dayo Okeniyi, yet he faced almost zero backlash. He is heavily involved with the show, however, and most recently welcomed the two new cast members on his blog, highly praising both actors (and sharing a picture of him and the three leads). May 10, 2022 Shannen Michaelsen Last week, it was announced that Leah Sava Jeffries would portray Annabeth Chase and Aryan Simhadri would portray Grover and The Doobie Brothers have nothing in common - except great books out this week, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. You have no one else to blame. Leah Sava Jeffries has an exciting new role she will be playing Annabeth Chase in the upcoming Percy Jackson and the Olympians series! In the movie adaptions of Rick's book, Annabeth is played by white actress Alexandra Daddario. Whatever else you take from this post, we should be able to agree that bullying and harassing a child online is inexcusably wrong. When I was 10 years old, I discovered a book series called Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan. Filming for Percy Jackson and the Olympians begins this summer in Vancouver. The actress, who is Black, is set to star as one of the leads in the upcoming adaptation set to release on Disney+. So, want to know more about Leah? This is something that other studios have failed to do, but it should not be commended. How The Mandalorian Wrote Out Gina Carano Is Cara Dune Still Alive? She might be perfect and a great actress but Annabeth is supposed to be blonde hair with grey eyes like Athena., I really wanted them to do everything by the book. You have no one else to blame," he continued."We should be able to agree that bullying and harassing a child online is inexcusably wrong. Rick Riordan, writer and author of the popular fantasy novel Percy Jackson, is speaking out against critics angered by the casting of Leah Jeffries. Instead, it was about how audiences could not imagine Rue as anything but white, despite her being Black in the book. In fact, this should be the norm. In fact, many stans will attach themselves to any white actor who mentions they auditioned for the role instead of supporting the girl who fairly won the role. That's your call. [1] References https://rickriordan.com/2022/05/the-trio-is-complete/ Others like you also viewed Annabeth Chase Percy Jackson Percy Jackson and the Olympians (TV series) Walker Scobell Anyone can be a hero. Aryan Simhadri and Walker Scobell had also been cast for the new series. Many non-Black people can wrap their minds around a Black villain just not a Black good guy. Actor, singer, and occasional dancer. Now. Percy Jackson and the Olympians doesnt have an official release date yet, but well be sure to let you know here on CinemaBlend. Annabeth must work ten times harder than everyone around her to be seen as powerful and worthy of being a hero. Her story is about how she feels ignored, underestimated, and abandoned. From look I didnt want to be a half-blood, I was hooked. 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