Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters News

Five days from now, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters, sequel to the 2010 bluckbuster movie Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, will officially start production.

Close as we might get to the release of the movie, there have been only a few information that surfaced online that could give us light on what's happening with this movie adaptation based on the second book of the famous series written by Rick Riordan.

So far, here are a compilation of the latest updates that surround the movie.

This time around, Chris Columbus, who also directed the first two Harry Potter movies, will not be back to helm the movie. In his stead will be the movie-for-general-audience veteran, Thor Freudenthal. Freudenthal is the director of some of the best-loved movies for children and children at heart, both adapted and original, such as Hotel for Dogs, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Ramona's World.

Head replaces Brosnan as Chiron

Aside from Columbus, another old-timer cast will not return and be replaced by another actor. Peirce Brosnan, who once played the ass kicking camp trainer, Chiron, will be replaced by Anthony Head, best known for his Buffy the Vampire Slayer character, Giles. Now, I always got this feeling of uncertainty whenever a main character is played by varying actors as it will greatly affect a film series' continuity. Remembered what happened to Dumbledore?

The Main Cast

The three actors who played Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Grover Underwood will luckily reprise their roles. The thirteen-year old Percy will be played by the now twenty-year old Logan Lerman. Same age pattern is applicable with Alexandra Daddario, 26, as she will portray the teenage Annabeth. Brandon T. Jackson is likely the same age as Grover. They are a lot older than in the first movie because of the long intervals between productions.

Updated: The cast of Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters:

Sean Bean as Zeus Logan Lerman as Percy Jackson Nathan Fillion as Hermes Stanley Tucci as Dionysus Missi Pyle as Gray Sister Alexandra Daddario as Annabeth Chase Mark Hamill as Tantalus (rumored) Jake Abel as Luke Leven Rambin as Clarisse Anthony Head as Chiron Brandon T. Jackson as Grover Underwood Douglas Smith as Tyson Robert Maillet as Laistrygonian Yvette Nicole Brown as Gray Sister Paloma Kwiatkowski as Thalia Grace Grey Damon as Chris Rodriguez

Derek Mears as Cyclops Daniel Cudmore as Manticore Mary Birdsong as Gray Sister Alisha Newton as Young Annabeth Aleks Paunovic as Cyclops Katelyn Mager as Young Thalia Christopher Redman as Reardon Bjorn Yearwood as Young Grover Samuel Braun as Young Luke Jordan Weller as Ichneutae Richard Yearwood as Ganymede Anthony Shim as Barista Maxine Miller as Customer Camille Atebe as Barista David Mylrea as Lydian Drakon Connor Dunn as Tereus

I am a little excited with the new set of cast for the new characters in Sea of Monsters. There are quite a lot of them as the scope of the story is slowly expanding to a bigger scale.

We will get to see Hermes, the messenger of the Greek Gods, in this adaptation and he will be played by Nathan Fillion, who made a name for himself playing characters for TV series. Three actresses have also been cast: Mary Birdsong, Missi Pyle and Yvette Nicole Brown. They will fill in the shoes of the Fates, who will help the trio to fulfill their quest.

Young sets of actors have also been cast for the movie. Douglas Smith is on negotations to play a yet-to-be-known character. Thalia, who see to the mythical tree that guards the Camp Half-Blood, will be played by Canadian newcomer Paloma Kwiatkowski. Recently, it has been announced that Leven Rambin, who aslo played as a tribute in The Hunger Games movie, will be playing Clarisse, the daughter of Ares that was entrusted a very important quest.

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Sea Of Monsters follows the adventures of Percy, with the help of his friends, to find the mythical Golden Fleece in the treacherous depths of the Sea of Monsters.