Annabeth is one of the main characters in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series as well as in The Heroes of Olympus series, as she is one of the Seven demigods of the Prophecy of Seven. and The Doobie Brothers have nothing in common - except great books out this week, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. On April 11th, Walker Scobell was introduced to the world as our new Percy. When reading the reactions to his casting most of the comments were about how genius Riordans casting was except for a few expected trolls. And now, at least on Disney+, she always will be. New York, Amandla was fourteen. The character of Aquaman has historically been white with blond hair and blue eyes. !May 10, 2022. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. WebAnnabeth Chase is a Greek demigod, daughter of the goddess Athena and professor Frederick Chase, and the cousin of Norse demigod Magnus Chase. The Wise Girl has arrived!. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy. The trio had been finalized and they will soon begin filming in March. Hopefully, hearing from the previous live-action Annabeth may help to quiet the naysayers, as unlikely as that may be. But the author added not every response has been supportive. Its a shame such posts need to be written, but they doLeah brings so much energy and enthusiasm to this role, so much of Annabeths strength. Leah Sava Jeffries has an exciting new role she "Some of you have apparently felt offended or exasperated when your objections are called out online as racist. "If you have a problem with this casting, however, take it up with me. 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. "These thoughts are mine alone. 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 Jenna Ortega Starring in New Movie with The Weeknd, Cady Heron's Mom Has Been Cast for 'Mean Girls' Movie Musical. 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People cannot fathom that Black actresses, who auditioned for a role, were better than the white people who tried out. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. Percy Jackson Author Shuts Down Backlash to Casting Black Actress as Annabeth Chase: Friends, That Is Racism We should be able to agree that bullying and For every role, please submit qualified performers without regard to disability, gender, race and ethnicity, age, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other basis prohibited by law. Meet the 'Percy Jackson' Series' Annabeth Chase! The Old Kids Wont Talk to Him, Make New Ones: Report Claims Gary Owen Is Having Twins with New Girlfriend, Fans Bring Up His Strained Relationship with Older Children, She Did Doing What Tami Roman Did: Malaysia Pargo Fans Support Her Departure from Basketball Wives Over Jennifer Williams Hurtful Comment, Kandi Its Angela Davis: Fans Call Out Kandi Burruss After She Tagged the Wrong Angela In IG Post About Legendary Women of Impact. Not only is the backlash just blatant misogynoir, but it also shows a complete lack of imagination on the part of these members of the audience. While the response to Leah Jeffries casting was indeed mostly positive, the young actress was subject to some intense bullying on her social media accounts. Thats your call. However, when Jason Momoa, a Polynesian man with brown hair and brown eyes, was cast as the character in 2014, there was very little backlash. Alexandra reprises her role of Annabeth in the film adaptation of The Sea of Monsters. People feel as though they have a claim to the characters, and therefore their word is law. [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 "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 are out of line. Naturally, rampant anticipation followed the announcement. She revealed in an Instagram live session that she was even driven to delete her TikTok account after receiving such hateful messages. Along the way, he gains two main friends, Annabeth, daughter of Athena, and Grover, his satyr protector. Halle Bailey being cast as Ariel in the upcoming live-action remake of The Little Mermaid had some people saying it was scientifically impossible for a mermaid to be Black. ", You are judging [Leah]s appropriateness for this role solely and exclusively on how she looks. In fact, it happens almost every time a traditionally white character is played by a Black actress. They need to stop. ! the actress wrote of her successor in a Twitter post earlier this week. Previously Walker Scobell (The Adam Project) was cast in the lead role of Percy Jackson. Percy Jackson's Annabeth Controversy Brought Out Some Fans' Ugly Side By Cara Smart Published May 20, 2022 Casting controversies aren't uncommon, but Percy A weekly roundup of the best things from Polygon. You have no one else to blame. The show is based on the best-selling middle grade series, which takes palce in a world where Greek gods, heroes, and monsters are real. 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WebAnnabeth Chase is a fictional character in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus series. Leahs Annabeth Chase is a true daughter of the Greek goddess Athena, who is a brilliant strategist with an active and curious mind. Other commentators online have likened the treatment of the young actress to how John Boyega and Kelly Marie Tran were treatedduring their Star Wars tenures. Leah Sava Jeffries has an exciting new role she will be playing Annabeth Chase in the upcoming Percy Jackson and the Olympians series! An open casting call was put out where people could submit auditions regardless of race. The key differences between the two actors? At times, her character gets into situations that are not pretty. This is untrue. Empire fans may recognize Leah from her role as Lola on the hit Fox drama. Aryan Simhadri and Walker Scobell had also been cast for the new series. Yara Shahidi Stars as Tinker Bell In New 'Peter Pan & Wendy' Trailer - Watch Here! Leah Jeffries is Annabeth Chase. In the movie adaptions of Rick's book, Annabeth is played by white actress Alexandra Daddario. Her story is about how she feels ignored, underestimated, and abandoned. 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. WebLeah Sava Jeffries (born September 25, 2009) is an actress who will portray Annabeth Chase in the Disney+ adaptation of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Alexandra Heres how it works. Whats more? Shes real and fleshed out. And not just white people like me. Representation will not bring us liberation, but it is nice to think about the little Black girls that will get to see themselves as one of the most powerful characters in the series. You would think the protest of her character would be on the basis of the colorist casting. Author Rick Riordan has openly shared grievances with the previous adaptation, particularly when it came to aging up the characters. Chiron, who was a white man in the novel, is now being portrayed by a Black actor. Lets not forget that mermaids are literally fictional creatures living under the sea. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief hit theaters in 2010. But I am not racist, you say. 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. Alexandra Daddario hasnt been the only Percy Jackson-related vet to support Leah Jeffries. In the meantime, you can check out the original film with your Disney+ subscription, or check out these other 2022 TV release dates to begin planning your viewing schedule. Aryan Simhadri (Disneys Spin) and Leah Sava Jeffries (Empire) will join the show as Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase, respectively. Elba himself has described playing Heimdall as torture. Simadri plays Grover, Percys best friend who is secretly a satyr, a half-man half-goat creature from Greek mythology. Contribute to Atlanta Black Star today and help us share our narratives. Jeffries also reaffirmed her confidence in herself, and thanked the supportive fans for their positive comments. From look I didnt want to be a half-blood, I was hooked. They need to stop. Who would be Grover? "This post is specifically for those who have a problem with the casting of Leah Jeffries as Annabeth Chase. Riordan also reiterated that, as the man who created these characters, he is inarguably best suited for knowing who should play them, and is confident that audiences will fall in love with Jeffries as Annabeth. Arguably, Pattons role as Iris West started the trend of race-bending originally white characters with Black actors. The only other thing she has is her wisdom and her ambition. Instead, it was about how audiences could not imagine Rue as anything but white, despite her being Black in the book. Except not quite. Take a look at her message below: Leah Jeffries is going to be an incredible Annabeth!! The response to Diors casting is colored by her being an antagonist, meanwhile, Leah is playing a hero. Following the release of Riordans statement, #LeahIsOurAnnabeth began trending on Twitter, with fans voicing their support for the young actress. We took a year to do this process thoroughly and find the best of the best. Annabeth Chase Is Black Now, Deal With It: How Race-Bending Gives Way to Misogynoir. When I was 10 years old, I discovered a book series called Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan. They do not necessarily reflect or represent the opinions of any part of Disney, the TV show, the production team, or the Jeffries family. Gender and race. Whatever else you take from this post, we should be able to agree that bullying and harassing a child online is inexcusably wrong., The New York Times bestselling author said that although he and Leah discussed the potential for this kind of reaction and the intense pressure this role will bring, the negative comments she has received online are out of line. He added, They need to stop. She will be a role model for new generations of girls who will see in her the kind of hero they want to be., Riordan dared those with a problem with this casting to take it up with me. He added, You have no one else to blame. 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She does not have superpowers like her closest friends. and The Doobie Brothers have nothing in common - except great books out this week. I have it. Please enter a valid email and try again. ", "If you don't get that, if you're still upset about the casting of this marvelous trio, then it doesn't matter how many times you have read the books. It should mean almost everything. For every role, please submit qualified performers, without regard to disability, gender, race and ethnicity, age, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other basis prohibited by law. Jacob Elordi, Will Poulter & Sasha Calle Will Star In New Book to Movie Adaptation. 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 are out of line. 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