On Tuesday, the young adult novelist, 57, spoke out against backlash the show has received after Variety announced last ThursdaythatLeah Jeffries, a 12-year-old Black actress, will play Annabeth Chase, whom Riordan described in the books as white. Following the release of Riordans statement, #LeahIsOurAnnabeth began trending on Twitter, with fans voicing their support for the young actress. Hopefully, hearing from the previous live-action Annabeth may help to quiet the naysayers, as unlikely as that may be. 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 The conversation turned odious enough for the creative to create a post on his website calling for the end of the harassment the young actor has faced. However, no one is saying the same thing about Tim Sharp. She also is playing the (10-year-old spoiler alert!) When Anna Diop was cast as Starfire in the DC show Titans, people could not fathom it. Luckily, that hasnt stopped Disney from continuing to diversify its screen projects, as evidenced by Percy Jackson and the Olympians. She will be a role model for new generations of girls who will see in her the kind of hero they want to be. We did that. Simadri plays Grover, Percys best friend who is secretly a satyr, a half-man half-goat creature from Greek mythology. I, for one, am excited for Leah Jeffries to bring life to one of my favorite characters, and I am carving her name into the Emmys right now. Here's What We Know, 5 Ways Perfect Match Restored My Faith In Netflix Dating Shows, The Good Doctor: Glassman's Big Loss Just Led To One Of Season 6's Most Heartfelt Moments, And I'm Ready For More, After LeBron James Broke His Scoring Record, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Dropped Thoughts On Why Hed Couldve Played Longer In Todays NBA, After The Bachelors Latest Breakup, Fans Are Starting To See Some Red Flags With Zach Shallcross. In the book, Gabe is also described as fat. Even now, Thompson still faces intense criticism while Elba was eventually accepted as Heimdall. The main trio of Percy Jackson and the Olympians has officially been cast for the upcoming Disney Plus show. Alexandra Daddario is talking all about Disney+s upcoming Percy Jackson series, which is expected to debut sometime in 2022. First, let me be clear I am speaking here only for myself. Like its so cool, Annabeth is a really inspiring character to people, she said. Along the way, he gains two main friends, Annabeth, daughter of Athena, and Grover, his satyr protector. If that doesnt speak to the Black girl experience, I dont know what does. The response to Diors casting is colored by her being an antagonist, meanwhile, Leah is playing a hero. Percy Jackson and the Olympians doesnt have an official release date yet, but well be sure to let you know here on CinemaBlend. We all do. Alexandra reprises her role of Annabeth in the film adaptation of The Sea of Monsters. You refuse to believe her selection could have been based on merit. People rejoiced. ", 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. Actor, singer, and occasional dancer. 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. Leah Jeffries is going to be an incredible Annabeth!!! 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. This post is specifically for those who have a problem with the casting of Leah Jeffries as Annabeth Chase. The casting process was long, intense, massive and exhaustive. Aryan Simhadri and Walker Scobell had also been cast for the new series. When I was 10 years old, I discovered a book series called Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan. Alexandra Daddario joins Percy Jackson author Rick Riordan in praising Leah Jeffries after fans criticized her casting as the new Annabeth Chase in Disney+ series. 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. - May 10, 2022 01:25 pm EDT. She is a Black girl playing someone who was described in the books as white. Alexandra Daddario hasnt been the only Percy Jackson-related vet to support Leah Jeffries. 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. Rick Riordan, writer and author of the popular fantasy novel Percy Jackson, is speaking out against critics angered by the casting of Leah Jeffries. Now. There is power in plurality. Rick Riordan will not stand for any racism toward or bullying of the new Percy Jackson cast. These thoughts are mine alone. "The response to the casting of Leah has been overwhelmingly positive and joyous, as it should be," Riordan wrote on his website. This contributes to the severity of the attacks on these actresses despite vocal support from the author himself. Instead, it was about how audiences could not imagine Rue as anything but white, despite her being Black in the book. As strong as Leah is, as much as we have discussed the potential for this kind of reaction and the intense pressure this role will bring, the negative comments she has received online areoutof line. The common narrative being used to justify the backlash against Jeffries is that she is not blonde. WebAlexandra Daddario: Annabeth Showing all 35 items Jump to: Photos (29) Quotes (6) Photos 6 more photos Quotes [last lines] [Annabeth leaning in as if to kiss Percy, then swiping his They claim that Annabeths story was about overcoming the dumb blonde stereotype in a world full of brunettes. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the opinions of any part of Disney, the TV show, the production team, or the Jeffries family. 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It's going to be a fantastic, exciting ride! ", Related:Joshua Cohen's 'The Netanyahus,' more awarded 2022 Pulitzer Prizes in books, drama, music. Shes real and fleshed out. It was groundbreaking, yes, but calls of gingercide and intense hate were thrown at Patton. Who would take roles as the gods and, more importantly, who would be Annabeth? Another critique Ive seen about the Annabeth casting has been why race-bend one character when we can create new Black characters? I counter with this question: why must they be mutually exclusive? Dior herself has mentioned that she is in the gym, as if that matters. Whatever else you take from this post, we should be able to agree that bullying and harassing a child online is inexcusably wrong. They said there was no way that she could be Starfire, a fictional alien from a make-believe planet. Everyone was talking about the show; Percy trended on Twitter all day. Jacob Elordi, Will Poulter & Sasha Calle Will Star In New Book to Movie Adaptation. Will Alert: Missing Persons Unit Be Renewed For Season 2 On Fox After Finale? In fact, this should be the norm. The Percy Jackson backlash is similar to what Halle Bailey experienced when she was cast as Ariel in the live-action The Little Mermaid. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, Percy Jackson Disney+ Series Sets The Adam Project Breakout Walker Scobell in Lead Role, Alexandra Daddario Talks Percy Jackson Disney+ Series and the Chances of Her Return (Video). On January 25th, 2022, author Rick Riordan announced that his first television series was finally greenlit by Disney+ and would soon be gracing our screens. They join Walker Scobell, who will portray the titular Percy. Since then, there has been significant backlash to the casting of Jeffries, a Black actress, as Annabeth, described as white with blonde hair in the original books. Author Rick Riordan, who is also writing the series and cast the actors, has responded to the backlash on his blog. WebAnnabeth Chase is a fictional character in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus series. ", 'Percy Jackson' author Rick Riordan not a fan of the film adaptations, calls them a 'mess', He continued: "You are judging her appropriateness for this role solely and exclusively on how she looks. Lets Go!! They also cannot imagine a little Black girl playing a hero. Something went wrong. In the replies to that announcement, there were people commenting on her race and body type. Arguably, Pattons role as Iris West started the trend of race-bending originally white characters with Black actors. Watch the show or dont. If you dont get that, if youre still upset about the casting of this marvelous trio, then it doesnt matter how many times you have read the books. Atlanta Black Star is a narrative company. 'It is not racist to want an actor who is accurate to the books description of the character!' She was left defenseless by the writers and producers at the CW. The Chris Columbus-directed film was greeted with a lukewarm reception from critics and even worse reactions from devout fans of the series. Leahs Annabeth Chase is a true daughter of the Greek goddess Athena, who is a brilliant strategist with an active and curious mind. How The Mandalorian Wrote Out Gina Carano Is Cara Dune Still Alive? Web11 May 2022 by Valerie Complex Deadline Actress Alexandra Daddario has weighed in on the backlash against Leah Jeffries casting as Annabeth Chase in the upcoming Disney+ show 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). Not even 24 hours after the worst of the attacks had begun, Riordan published a blog post where he called the trolling what it was, racist, and demanded that it stopped. In a post on his website, Riordan who wrote the Percy Jackson and the Olympians book series, will write the pilot of the Disney+ series, and executive produce the series noted that most of the responses to Jeffries being cast have been overwhelmingly positive and joyous. But there are still some out there who are upset that Annabeth, who is described as a white girl in the books, will be played by a Black actress and thats who Riordan directed his post at. Chiron, who was a white man in the novel, is now being portrayed by a Black actor. You have it. 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. 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