EXCLUSIVE: Dan Shotz and Jon Steinberg Chat All Things ‘Percy Jackson & the Olympians’
Executive producer, Dan Shotz and co-creator, showrunner, and executive producer, Jon Steinberg are bringing Rick Riordan’s hit book series, Percy Jackson & the Olympians to life in the all new Disney+ series by the same name.
Set to be released tomorrow, December 20, the duo sat down to chat about the new series, bringing the iconic Camp Half-Blood to life, working with teenagers, and so much more. Check out what they had to say below.
On which Greek God they would want to be:
Shotz: I”I think Hephaestus because I’m really not good at fixing things. And this would be an awesome skill set to have.”
Steinberg: “Zeus seems like a pretty good gig. I’m excited for that.”
On bringing to life Camp Half-Blood:
Shotz: “What was amazing for us seeing it come to life was it’s the first time I’ve seen hundreds of background artists put a shirt on and their whole body changed. Because all the kids that were at the camp were, were so connected to the books themselves that them being able to put these orange shirts on and honor this book and, and play these roles, it was just, it was overwhelming, just seeing the excitement from everybody who was there. It was, it was just, um, it was a really powerful, powerful moment.”
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On which scene they are most excited for fans to see:
Steinberg: “The Ares fight.”
Shotz:”For me, it was we got to do some pretty amazing creature design in this show. Things that I think have never been seen like this, ever. It was the chimera, chimera fight between Percy at the top of the arch. It’s pretty epic and Walker is amazing in it and I’m excited for everyone to see that one.”
On their favorite part about bringing this story to life:
Steinberg: “We’re all here for the same reason. These relationships between these kids, were really what got me excited about the book—the first time I read it, got me excited about the project when we came on and, and I’m watching these guys inhabit that and, and take stuff and make it so human and so much fun. I’m very excited for people to, I guess, see the book in a different way.”
On what it was like working with a predominately teenage cast:
Steinberg: “On this show it is easy to forget. It doesn’t behave like a show for kids or with kids, And I think a lot of that is a tribute to the cast, everybody was such a pro. And not just showing up for work and not just working hard but handling really complex emotional stuff..It’s a story about what it’s like to hurt people you love, what it’s like to be in a complicated relationship with a parent. I think the more they were able to pull that off, the easier it was to forget that everyone was 16 and 13 and 12. They did an amazing job.”
Shotz: “They were such pros the entire time, they just brought such a joy to the making of it, to the set, being silly, having a good time, coming with the greatest energy every day that it was contagious. And the entire crew just felt it and, and just was having a ball the entire time we were making it, um, and that’s a tribute to you guys.”
On how they balanced what was seen in the book to what fans will see on their screens:
Steinberg: “It’s a little more art than science. As you’re reading the book, it starts in terms of trying to form a sense of what really is contributing to the sense of the journey, to the important moments, to the stuff you remember a couple of days later. I think that conversation became much more detailed and much more substantive once you’re in conversation with Rick and with Becky about the things that they have those feelings about, the things they feel like this wouldn’t be a Percy Jackson story or Percy Jackson journey without. Then from there, you just start planting flags and things and feeling like if this wasn’t in the show, I think as a fan, I’d be disappointed, so that’s got to be in there, and trying to figure out how to stitch everything together in a way where, nothing feels extra. Nothing feels like it’s there just because we wanted it to be there, it all has to be part of a story that functions organically and that makes you feel like it was always built this way even though it’s in the middle of a pretty serious adaptation.”
On what their favorite Greek myth is:
Steinberg: “I think I find myself in The Odyssey a lot, in all of its parts. I think when, when—especially, trying to put this together in a way, where you’re trying to make this feel like a journey and you’re gonna need some spare parts to stitch pieces together in this book to kind of make it work in this medium. So that’s, um, that’s where I always run to.”
Shotz: “This is a copout, but I just, we just got lost in all of them. Like, it’s what was so amazing about what Rick built is you could just find your way through so many different myths and the ones obviously he pulled to, to weave the story. But also, we went back into so many myths to add to the series. It’s so amazing to immerse yourself in all of this mythology. ”
On how they made sure they were staying faithful to the books when they brought these characters to life:
Steinberg: “I think you have to be extremely respectful of it. I think you also at the same time have to not be afraid of it. You commit to telling a story about this kid and trying to figure out how he and his friends are going to get through this and making the story work on its own two feet. And then trying to figure out how to make sure that it is also doing all of the things that the book wants. I think it’s a constant balancing act between a real sense of reverence for the material and a willingness to try stuff. I think having Rick and Becky on board makes that process possible. The ability to pitch something new and then look at their faces and see if it’s working is invaluable. So, I think you have to be able to walk both sides of that line at all times.”
Shotz: “And, there’s no one closer to this book series than the Riordans. And what was so impressive about them was they were open to looking at it themselves. Rick wrote this 20 years ago and he had some distance from it. So it was exciting to hear what things he wanted to do with it, how he wanted to explore different themes and ideas and dig deeper into, into all of it. It was kind of amazing to watch, and they were insanely collaborative for us all to bring what we brought to it. It was a special relationship.”
Photo credit: Disney/PictureGroup
*This interview has been edited for length and clarity