annabeth chase actress 2022
"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. We took a year to do this process thoroughly and find the best of the best. You didnt learn anything from them. People feel as though they have a claim to the characters, and therefore their word is law. By Allison Schonter - May 12, 2022 09:18 am EDT. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. Ten thousand other actresses of various backgrounds auditioned for Annabeth and Rick Riordan hand-picked Leah. They need to stop. !May 10, 2022. Atlanta Black Star is a narrative company. In a lengthy blog post published earlier this week, Riordan condemned the racist remarks made toward the young star set to play Annabeth Chase in Percy Jackson and the Olympians., This post is specifically for those who have a problem with the casting of Leah Jeffries as Annabeth Chase, Riordan wrote. Here's What You Can Do To Fix Them, Charlize Theron and Jisoo Wow at Diors Fall-Winter 2023 Womens Show in Paris, Mayfair Witches: Jack Huston Talks Show vs. Book Lasher in Season 1 Finale, 'Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches' Season 1 Finale Recap: The Prophecy Is All Relative, The Mysterious Benedict Society Canceled By Disney+ After 2 Seasons, Why 23 Jump Street Never Happened (Is There Still A Chance? Leahs co-star, Aryan Simhadri, was not met with the same backlash, nor should he have been. By Petrana Radulovic May 5, 2022, 1:48pm EDT Image: Disney The main trio of Percy Jackson and the Olympians has officially been cast for the upcoming Disney Plus The most watched K-pop music videos of the year have been revealed. 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. Likes: fashion, books, old buildings. Lets Go!! Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, Please enter a valid email and try again. She should not have to be strong in the face of blatant misogynoir by people who want to put her in her place or dim her shine. In 2012, Amandla Stenberg was cast as Rue Barnette in The Hunger Games. Lets not even get into the complete disregard of the story from the source material. But the author added not every response has been supportive. Many non-Black people can wrap their minds around a Black villain just not a Black good guy. You can keep up with Leah Sava Jeffries by following her on Instagram @leahsavajeffries! In the books, Rue was a dark-skinned Black girl, and Amandla is light-skinned. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief hit theaters in 2010. ", Related:Joshua Cohen's 'The Netanyahus,' more awarded 2022 Pulitzer Prizes in books, drama, music. 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). She might be perfect and a great actress but Annabeth is supposed to be blonde hair with grey eyes like Athena , To comments like that, the author said, You are judging her appropriateness for this role solely and exclusively on how she looks. 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. What We Know About Disney+s Show Her casting as Annabeth Chase was announced in May 2022, along with the announcement of the casting of Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood. Additionally, it was announced that Walker Scobell will be playing the titular character back in April 2022. We did that. 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. newsletter, recently welcomed the two new cast members on his blog, Every movie and show coming to Netflix in March, All the big new games coming out in March, Pokemon Go leader counters for Sierra, Arlo, and Cliff in March 2023, Pokmon Go Rocket Giovanni counters, team in March 2023, PlayStation VR 2 games releasing in March, all upcoming titles for 2023, The official BTS Lego set is now available. last updated May 12, 2022 Percy Jackson film vet Alexandra Daddario has weighed in. You can read Rick Riordans full statement here. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. Percy Jackson creator Rick Riordan had to pen a letter supporting Leah Jeffries after she had been cast as Annabeth Chase in the Disney+ series. How The Mandalorian Wrote Out Gina Carano Is Cara Dune Still Alive? 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. What did you think about his statement? The response to the casting of Leah has been overwhelmingly positive and joyous, as it should be. In fact, it happens almost every time a traditionally white character is played by a Black actress. Coming up, Leah will star in the movie Beast with Idris Elba, which finds Elba on a trip to South Africa, only for he and his two teenage daughters to be hunted by a massive rogue lion intent on proving that the savanna has but one apex predator, according to The Wrap. It is not racist to want an actor who is accurate to the books description of the character!, You are upset/disappointed/frustrated/angry because a Black actor has been cast to play a character who was described as white in the books. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. In fact, this should be the norm. This is untrue. Uncle Rick officially welcomes them to the Percy Jackson cast. Aryan Simhadri (Disneys Spin) and Leah Sava Jeffries (Empire) will join the show as Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase, respectively. 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 shared on Instagram. If that doesnt speak to the Black girl experience, I dont know what does. It's a shame such posts need to be written, but they do. Previously Walker Scobell (The Adam Project) was cast in the lead role of Percy Jackson. Leah Sava Jeffries has an exciting new role she 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. No actor should have to bear their job. She was left defenseless by the writers and producers at the CW. Twelve-year-old actress Leah Sava Jeffries is being harassed simply because she is Black, while the character she will play, Annabeth Chase, was described as white in The Wise Girl has arrived!. 0. The things that distinguish us from one another are often our marks of individual greatness. Her fellow district member Thresh Morrowson was played by dark-skinned actor Dayo Okeniyi, yet he faced almost zero backlash. You should never judge someone by how well they fit your preconceived notions. Everyone was too old. What much of this outcry boils down to is fan entitlement, anti-blackness, and misogynoir. In the second film, Alexandra dyed her hair blonde to resemble Annabeth more. NY 10036. Unlike the movie, the show will keep the characters closer to their book ages. Jacob Elordi, Will Poulter & Sasha Calle Will Star In New Book to Movie Adaptation. Who would be Grover? This is not unique to the Percy Jackson fandom. People cannot fathom that Black actresses, who auditioned for a role, were better than the white people who tried out. And now, at least on Disney+, she always will be. It was groundbreaking, yes, but calls of gingercide and intense hate were thrown at Patton. WebAnnabeth Chase is a fictional character in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus series. Annabeth has always been incredibly important to me. Friends, that is racism.. Dior herself has mentioned that she is in the gym, as if that matters. Except not quite. There was a problem. Naturally, rampant anticipation followed the announcement. Let us know down in the comments! Percy Jackson & the Olympians fans showed their more controversial side when Leah Jeffries was cast as Annabeth Chase in the upcoming Disney+ TV series. When the fan base learned that Disney+ was picking up their beloved franchise for a second shot at on-screen adaptation, they were ecstatic. What is it about black girls that make people so ready and willing to tear them down or put them in their place?. They need to stop. She doesnt look the way I always imagined.. ", You are judging [Leah]s appropriateness for this role solely and exclusively on how she looks. They said that Clarisse was white and built. Please refresh the page and try again. Following the release of Riordans statement, #LeahIsOurAnnabeth began trending on Twitter, with fans voicing their support for the young actress. ! the actress wrote of her successor in a Twitter post earlier this week. Whats more? First, let me be clear I am speaking here only for myself. 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You didn't learn anything from them," the creator notes. But this will be an adaptation that I am proud of, and which fully honors the spirit of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, taking the bedtime story I told my son twenty years ago to make him feel better about being neurodivergent, and improving on it so that kids all over the world can continue to see themselves as heroes at Camp Half-Blood. With their casting announcement came waves of backlash. In fact, when the author himself says that you have misunderstood the character as he wrote her, then you know youre wrong. Filming for Percy Jackson and the Olympians begins this summer in Vancouver. Author Rick Riordan, who wrote the original Percy Jackson novels, released a statement on his website defending the young actress. He stated his intent to cast the series without regard for factors like ethnicity and gender, and that Leah Jeffries was the best actress to embody Annabeths strength. Everyone was talking about the show; Percy trended on Twitter all day. Who Is Leah Sava Jeffries? Additionally, it was 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. Who would play Percy? Aryan Simhadri (left) and Leah Jeffries (right). Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy. Leah Jeffries is Annabeth Chase. How The Mandalorian Wrote Out Gina Carano Is Cara Dune Still Alive? Now. The main trio of Percy Jackson and the Olympians has officially been cast for the upcoming Disney Plus show. His blonde hair was a negligible non-issue that was largely brushed aside. Alexandra Daddario originally portrayed the role of Annabeth in Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, as well as its sequel The Sea of Monsters. IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. One of the main gripes that anchored discourse in online circles was the way the characters looked. I have it. 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. Leah is a twelve-year-old child. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. You should never judge someone by how well they fit your preconceived notions. 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. Instead, it was about how audiences could not imagine Rue as anything but white, despite her being Black in the book. Anyone can be a hero. Sign up to receive The Atlanta Black Star Newsletter in your inbox. She will be a role model for new generations of girls who will see in her the kind of hero they want to be. However, like clockwork, racist trolls came out of every dank corner of the Internet. She will also be starring in the upcoming Prime Video movie Something From Tiffanys, alongside Zoey Deutch, Kendrick Sampson and Shay Mitchell. 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. As more casting announcements are revealed for this television series, it is obvious that Rick Riordan is trying to diversify the world that he created. The trio had been finalized and they will soon begin filming in March. 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. Rick Riordan and the rest of the Percy Jackson crew immediately came out against the racist trolls. Dior is not as big as Clarisse was described in the book. 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. Elba himself has described playing Heimdall as torture. By Aaron Perine - May 10, 2022 01:25 pm EDT 0 Percy Jackson creator Rick Riordan had to pen a letter supporting Leah Jeffries after she had been cast as Annabeth That's your call. 2013 saw the release of a sequel that garnered an even worse reception. Friends, that is racism. Whatever else you take from this post, we should be able to agree that bullying and harassing a child online is inexcusably wrong. On Tuesday, the author issued a lengthy statement defending the casting of Leah Jeffries as Annabeth Chase. This contributes to the severity of the attacks on these actresses despite vocal support from the author himself. Rick Riordan, writer and author of the popular fantasy novel Percy Jackson, is speaking out against critics angered by the casting of Leah Jeffries. 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