Percy Jackson and the Thief of Fire

Year: 2010

Genre: Fantasy/Adventure

Region: USA

Production Company:

Language: English

Release Date: February 12, 2010 (Friday)

English Title: Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Other Titles: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief / Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (HK/TW)

Director: Chris Columbus

Statistics: Subscribed by 153 people

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0814255/ (5.8/10 from 56,542 users)

Introduction:

Main Cast:

Logan Lerman as Percy Jackson

Brandon T. Jackson as Grover

Alexandra Daddario as Annabeth

Jake Abel as Luke

Uma Thurman as Medusa

Sean Bean as Zeus

Pierce Brosnan as Mr. Brunner / Chiron

Steve Coogan as Hades

Rosario Dawson as Persephone

Melina Kanakaredes as Athena

Catherine Keener as Sally Jackson

Kevin McKidd as Poseidon

Joe Pantoliano as Gabe Ugliano

Julian Richings as Ferryman

Bonita Friedericy as Hysterical Woman

Annie Ilonzeh as Aphrodite Girl

Marie Avgeropoulos as Aphrodite Girl

Luisa D'Oliveira as Aphrodite Girl

Christie Laing as Aphrodite Girl

Marielle Jaffe as Aphrodite Girl

Elisa King as Aphrodite Girl

Tania Saulnier as Aphrodite Girl

Crystal Tisiga as Aphrodite Girl

Alexis Knapp as Aphrodite Girl

Charlie Gallant as Lotus Land Bellhop

Chelan Simmons as Lotus Land Waitress

Andrea Brooks as Lotus Land Waitress

Jocelyn Ott as Lotus Land Waitress

Max Van Ville as Seventies Kid Casino

Serinda Swan as Aphrodite

Dimitri Lekkos as Apollo

Ona Grauer as Artemis

Stefanie von Pfetten as Demeter

Conrad Coates as Hephaestus

Erica Cerra as Hera

Dylan Neal as Hermes

Luke Camilleri as Dionysus

Holly Hougham as Grover Girl

Ina Geraldine Guy as Grover Girl

Raquel Riskin as Grover Girl

Yusleidis Oquendo as Grover Girl

Janine Edwards as Grover Girl

Valerie Tian as Cute Girl

Violet Columbus as Nymph Warrior

Sarah Smyth as Pretty Girl #1

Merritt Patterson as Pretty Girl #2

Julie Luck as WGHP News Anchor (Video)

Andrea Day as Field News Reporter

John Stewart as Poker Buddy

Dee Jay Jackson as Poker Buddy

Matthew Garlick as Poker Buddy

Stan Carp as Old Fisherman

Suzanne Ristic as Maid at Motel

Richard Harmon as Smart Ass Kid

Maria Olsen as Mrs. Dodds / Fury

Robin LeMon as Museum Tour Guide

Doyle Devereux as Museum Employee

Tom Pickett as Parthenon Janitor

V.J. Delos-Reyes as Parthenon Janitor

Tim Wheaton as Parthenon Janitor

Keith Dallas as Parthenon Janitor

Spencer Atkinson as Parthenon Janitor

Maya Washington as Percy's Classmate

Victor Ayala as Percy's Classmate

Zane Holtz as 50's Tough

Eli Zagoudakis as Son of Ares

Matt Reimer as Son of Ares

Rob Hayter as Son of Ares

Loyd Bateman as Son of Ares

Shawn Beaton as Son of Ares

Jarod Joseph as College Buddy

Reilly Dolman as College Buddy

Paul Cummings as College Buddy

Julie Brar as Cute Girlfriend

Dejan Loyola as Boyfriend

Mario Casoria as Cook

Dorla Bell as Waitress

Caroline Matthews as Waitress with Cleaver

Jade Pawluk as Screaming Diner

G. Patrick Currie as Stuffy Croupier

Darian Arman as Warrior

Mariela Zapata as Warrior

David L. Smith as Poet

Jovanna Huguet as Lotus Land Pedicurist

Summary:

The story follows Percy Jackson, a troublemaker in school whose life is about to change dramatically. Although it's the 21st century, the gods of Mount Olympus seem to have walked out of Percy's Greek mythology textbook into his real life. Percy discovers that his father is Poseidon, which means he is a demigod - half human, half god. At this point, Zeus, the king of the gods, accuses Percy of stealing his master bolt - the most destructive weapon.

Percy must embark on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, arguably the most dangerous journey ever. As storm clouds gather ominously before the coming storm, Percy finds himself in great peril. He heads to a secret base called Camp Half-Blood, where he receives training to harness his newly discovered powers and tries to prevent an impending war among the gods. At Camp Half-Blood, Percy meets two other demigods: Annabeth, who seeks her mother goddess Athena, and Grover, his childhood friend and protector, who turns out to be a brave satyr awaiting his test.

Grover and Annabeth join Percy on his surreal and arduous journey across the continent. They visit a 600-story high place in New York City (the entrance to Mount Olympus) and the famous Hollywood sign, beneath which lies the fiery underworld. The fate of the world depends on the outcome of this journey, as does the life of Percy's mother, Sally, whom Percy must personally descend into the depths of hell to rescue.

Behind the Scenes:

Another "Harry Potter"?

Whether in terms of subject matter or character settings, Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief" resembles another popular fantasy children's book series, "Harry Potter." So far, the latter has caused a global sensation and even spawned a related cultural syndrome.

However, in director Chris Columbus' eyes, these two have little comparability. He said, "The 'Harry Potter' series is a story that becomes increasingly complex and darker, with the protagonist maturing gradually, making the story harder to accept. By the end, the movie is no longer just for children. However, Percy Jackson remains a kid throughout. In these novels, he only grows from 12 to 16 years old, and the overall tone remains child-friendly. What excites me most about making this movie is finding my 17-year-old mindset again."

Fans of the novel worry whether Chris Columbus will alter the story beyond recognition, as his adaptations of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" and "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" were criticized for significant changes by many fans. But Columbus isn't worried about such criticism, saying, "I still believe all the changes I made are necessary and correct. Once the movie is finished, everyone will think it's an exciting film. I certainly won't follow the book word-for-word, but those changes will delight the novel's fans. In the upcoming sequels of the 'Percy Jackson' series, I'll make even bigger changes, and I believe everyone will like them."

When asked about future sequels, Chris Columbus expressed strong interest in continuing the series. He said, "I hope to continue making this series and hope it achieves the same success as 'Harry Potter.' I am familiar with current pop culture and understand what today's kids like to watch. We've already planned four 'Percy Jackson' movies. However, the books are getting thicker, and the kids are growing up, so adaptations will definitely be needed. Nevertheless, I'm enjoying the filmmaking process immensely."

Visual Effects and Casting Are Key

For a film centered around battles between deities, visual effects often outweigh the storyline in importance. With excellent visual effects, the film is almost halfway to success. Audience enthusiasm for such films largely stems from their pursuit of visual effects.

Chris Columbus said, "Yes, I consider special effects almost every day. It's been over seven years since I finished directing the first two 'Harry Potter' movies, and during this time, computer graphics and CGI technology have advanced significantly. I no longer need to consult with the special effects team on how to shoot before designing the shots. I just design the shots, create storyboards, and tell them what effects I want. In the film, Uma Thurman plays Medusa with snake hair, and we have some close-up shots of her. In the past, such shots would have been very difficult to produce. Now it's easier; we used real snakes, tracked their movements, created a virtual snake wig, and digitally placed it on Thurman. Pierce Brosnan's centaur character was also created this way. Compared to previous technologies, current technology is truly much more convenient."

Besides visual effects, choosing the right lead actors is crucial to the film's success. Columbus cast Logan Lerman, a rising star. Columbus praised Lerman for his acting talent, saying, "Lerman is a very talented young actor with strong execution skills. He can fully meet all my requirements and instructions on set. Watching him feels like watching my own child, though he's actually younger than my kids. Working with such a young talent makes me very happy. And Uma Thurman and Pierce Brosnan's participation also brings me great joy, even though they play small roles, both stars are very professional." Talking about filming this movie, Logan Lerman, who is only 17 years old but has been acting for 10 years, said, "I've long wanted to make a movie like this; it's too cool and too exciting. I can't wait to see myself using lightning to teach those bad guys a lesson on screen."

Origins of the Original Work

Writer Rick Riordan taught Greek mythology for many years in junior high schools in California and Texas. He told stories of ancient Greek heroes as bedtime tales to his son Haley, which inspired him to write the first book in the Percy Jackson series (he later wrote four sequels, gaining millions of loyal readers).

Riordan recalled on his website: "When I finished telling all the mythological stories, my son was disappointed. He asked if I could create new stories using these characters. I remembered the creative writing assignment I gave to my sixth-grade students, where I had them create their own demigod heroes. They could create any son or daughter of a god and then write a Greek-style quest for that hero. Without hesitation, I came up with the character Percy Jackson and told Haley the quest he undertook in modern-day America to retrieve Zeus's master bolt. It took about three nights to tell the entire story, after which Haley suggested I should turn this story into a book."

Those three nights ultimately turned into a year-long journey, and Riordan finally completed his first book for young adult readers (at the time, he was already a well-known novelist, having written several detective thrillers featuring Tres Navarre starting with "Big Red Tequila" in 1997). Riordan continued, "I found a few sixth-to-eighth-grade students and asked if they would help me 'test read' this novel. I was nervous! Because I was accustomed to adults reading my work, but I had no idea if kids would like Percy. Finally, I understood how they feel waiting for their grades after submitting reports. Fortunately, my students really liked the book and gave me some excellent suggestions."

Five years after its publication in 2005, Hollywood adapted the first Percy Jackson book into a major motion picture. While the movie studio was busy adapting Riordan's first book into a film, he continued releasing sequels annually from 2006 to 2009.

A Fusion of Modern Adventure and Greek Mythology

Director Chris Columbus recalls being drawn to the original novel because "we've never seen Greek mythology presented in this kind of story. I think Rick Riordan tapped into a unique area, juxtaposing the ancient Greek world with the dark side of modern America." Columbus is no stranger to the fantasy genre. Besides directing the first two installments and producing the third of the "Harry Potter" series, his early original scripts "Gremlins," "The Goonies," and "Young Sherlock Holmes" garnered him a large fanbase.

Columbus describes this movie as a fusion of modern adventure and Greek mythology, distinct from traditional period dramas that feature gods in flowing robes and massive storm clouds. He explains, "Not only does the story have a contemporary and epic flavor, but it also portrays the supernatural evil battle between good and evil."

Columbus brought back former collaborator Craig Titley to adapt the book into a screenplay. They had previously worked together on the hit comedy "Cheaper by the Dozen" alongside Columbus and his production partners at 1492 Pictures. Titley's academic background in Greek mythology added value to their collaboration. He recalls, "Chris sent me the book knowing that I was pursuing a doctorate in myth studies at the time. I had just finished my studies and thought this was perfect because I was immersed in Greek myths, monsters, and heroes. And it was the kind of movie I've always wanted to see as a kid. Myths have always been popular, and there's currently a resurgence of myth-related trends in popular culture. It seems to capture people's imagination."

After securing the visual themes, the production team focused on the script. Producer Michael Barnathan explained, "It's a great book, but you can't fit everything from the book into the movie. We tried to retain the essence of the story, the characters, and the world Rick created while fitting them into the framework of a movie." Titley added, "One big change was making Percy and his friends older. He's 12 in the book, but making him 17 adds more intrigue to the story. At that age, we can explore the relationship between Percy and Annabeth."

Columbus said, "I think this story is perfect because it encompasses the entire world of Greek mythology filled with Greek monsters. We can design these creatures and incorporate them into our world. Moreover, it's primarily a story about a young man trying to save his mother and find his biological father, which is very touching. As a director, I resonate with this kind of story."

Barnathan emphasized, "This movie explores a lot of parent-child relationships. This theme runs through the entire film and connects many of Chris's works. There's always a family element in his movies. In 'Home Alone,' there's a boy who loses his parents. In 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' the kids try to maintain the relationship between their parents. In this movie, there's a boy searching for his father while rescuing his mother, hoping to reunite the family."

Trivia:

- The film is adapted from Rick Riordan's novel series of the same name. "Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief" is the first book in the series.

- The "Percy Jackson & The Olympians" series consists of five novels. Besides "The Lightning Thief," the others are "The Sea of Monsters," "The Titan's Curse," "The Battle of the Labyrinth," and "The Last Olympian."

- Before the book's public release, 20th Century Fox had already acquired the film rights to "Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief."

- Although finished in July 1994, "Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief" was not published until June 28, 2005.

- As of January 6, 2010, Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson & The Olympians" series had spent 129 weeks on The New York Times Children's Best Seller list.

- The second book in the series, "The Sea of Monsters," is already scheduled for adaptation and is planned for release in 2012.