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| Percy Jackson and the Olympians - The
Lightning Thief DVD/BluRay: since June, 29th 2010/USA and July, 5th 2010/UK +++ in cinemas in the UK & USA: February, 12th 2010 |
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| News | My Review | Pictures | Articles | |||
Screencapture from Trailer - source: TheMightyBean.com - more screencaptures can be found there! - Da gibt's noch mehr Screencaptures |
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Percy Jackson - Diebe im Olymp im deutschsprachigen Fernsehen: am Sonntag, 15. April 2012 - Pro 7 / 20:15 h und Wiederholung Mo., 16.04.2012 - Pro 7 / 15:00 h am Samstag, 14. April 2012 - SF 2 / 20:00 h und Wiederholung nachts 14. auf 15.04.2012 - SF 2 / 02:10 h erhältlich als DVD/BluRay seit 16. Juli 2010 +++ Premiere (D): 11. Februar 2010 im Kino |
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...and well, as far as we are informed, there wasn't a premiere in Los Angeles. The Events in London on the 1. and in New York on the 4 February 2010 was it! Well, perhaps they thought, that a "childrens" film mustn't have a glamorous affair :-) rg/21.03.2010 The US Westcoast premiere is announced for Feb 11, 2010 at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Blvd in Los Angeles, but not listed on its website: Mann Theatres Premieres
"Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief" New York Premiere - February 4, 2010 - AMC Lincoln Square, New York, NY United States - without Sean Bean.
Photoshoot and Press Conference in London on Feb 1, 2010 (again without Sean Bean) |
Cast Of "Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief" Visits Borders February 3, 2010 - Borders Kips Bay, New York, NY United States - without Sean Bean. efi/08.02.2010 |
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Tja, tatsächlich gab es wohl keine Deutschlandpremiere! Zumindest ist mir nichts bekanntgeworden. Vielleicht dachten ja die Macher, bei einem "Kinder"-Film braucht's das nicht? rg/21.03.2010 Die Deutschlandpremiere ist am Mittwoch, den 10. Februar 2010 (in welcher Stadt, weiß ich allerdings nicht, möglicherweise Berlin, kurz vor der Berlinale), in Österreich auch am 10. Februar 2010 in Wien, und in der Schweiz ebenfalls am 10. Februar 2010 in Zürich. efi/08.02.1010 |
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| English Official Website: www.percyjacksonthemovie.com you might want to have a look, the first trailer is the one with the 5 or 6 sightings of "Zeus" - aka Sean Bean - rg/01.01.10 |
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Deutsche offizielle Website: www.percy-jackson.de Wenn man den langen Trailer - MIT den Zeus-Einsprengseln auf deutsch sehen will: diesem link folgen: www.fox.de/cinema/percy_jackson/12107 rg/01.01.10 |
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| Percy Jackson... My Review | ||||||
Oi. And where did this come from? Greek Gods in America? Weeell, wouldn't we await to see Greek Gods in Greece? ...Hmm. On the other hand - Gods are Gods. Wasn't there something about the Allmightyness of them all? And in truth: After having watched the film, where the Gods speak actually all a nice English - like everyone else too (including demigod Percy Jackson, only, when it comes to the writing on the walls - apologies on the board! He only understands - yes - greeek. geeeeek) I am convinced now: Yes, the Gods are ... well, what now...goddish? Only, what exactly is goddish? The Film starts with Poseidon coming out of the water - quite appropriate, and since he is app. 10 times bigger than the human beings, I believe willingly, that he is a big, mighty, powerful being... |
Interview-Clip with Sean Bean: 1. On the storyline. 2. On the film's passion and Chris Columbus. 3. On kids becoming part of this world. |
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...and when he meets his brother, Zeus (Sean Bean), on the platform of the Empire State building (that is in New York) you become quite aware, that he is not only his brother, but mightier and more powerful (if perhaps not bigger) than Poseidon. And at the end of the film, when we see Zeus again, it's not even a question, who he is - the boss of them all. Quite satisfying! :-) In between, during the most part of the film, there is no Zeus to be seen, but then, that is perhaps quite understandable - His lightning bolt has been stolen!! And he is very, very, VERY bad tempered about it. He is also convinced, that Percy, his half-human nephew has stolen it. And that is, why poor Percy has to travel through the whole width of the continent, to find it. Because, yes, you are right! He is the hero of the film - and so it is quite clear for anybody (apart from Zeus) that HE isn't the thief. Hmmm. That makes me now a little bit suspious - Zeus, all- or at least - very mighty, very powerful, and, since he has his job since lots of thousands of years, obviously also pretty clever (and did I mention very, very, VERY bad tempered?) believes just like that, that Percy is the thief? And - just like that - he is willing to start a war with the other gods - and he has not another idea how to get back the bolt?? Not that I want to question the, ehm, cleverness of that, but isn't that just a little, a very, VERY little bit childish of him? I can't help it, but to stand at the top of the Empire State Building and accuse his brother - YOU have taken it (or your brat) don't I know that behavious? - And his brothter, who, promptly answers in the very, very, VERY long tradition of brother quarrels with the sanctioned words - It wasn't me!!! Now, come on. Okay, it sets Percy on his trail - He has to find three pearls that brings him and his comrades Annabeth, demi goddess and daughter of Athena, and Grover, Half Goat, to Hades and back. This, he has to do, because Hades has kidnapped his mother, and he wants the bolt... (And YES, you remember your greek history right - he is also a brother of Zeus and Poseidon)... So we have these youths, doing the work of grown ups, and actually behaving more grown up than the adults, and Percy and his friends succeed, of course, in the end, and we have the Gods, who behave like not so grown ups - but obviously have a lot of fun in doing so. Which brings me, in the end, to the conclusion, that this is not a only a childrens film after all: Because children want to follow their elders, they want to be like them - grown up and adultish. And not childlike - like how the Gods are in this film! And it isn't an adults film. For that we would have needed Arnold Schwarzenegger who would have shown as Percy Jackson, where the hammer hangs - and how much firework you can do with a bolt, or in short, being mighty, and powerful, like a god :-) So, in the end, only one group is left. And when it is true, that the Gods like to laugh, and being entertained by us humans, than it becomes blindingly clear, this is a film - for the Gods! :-) rg/21. February 2010
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Oi. Und wo ist das wohl hergekommen? Griechische Götter in Amerika? Nun ja, würden wir nicht erwarten, griechische Götter in Griechenland zu finden? Tja, da kommt einem doch glatt der Verdacht, dass die Amerikaner keine eigenen Götter haben... ...Hmm. Auf der anderen Seite: Götter sind Götter. Und war da nicht irgendwas bezüglich Allmächtigkeit und so? Das müßte dann doch auf alle Götter zutreffen? Und ganz ehrlich, nachdem ich den Film in Originalfassung (also in grie... nein halt - in amerikanisch) mit Evi zusammen angeschaut habe - es sprechen dort alle recht nett Englisch - Einschließlich Halbgott Percy Jackson (nur, wenns an die Zeichen an der Wand... Entschuldigung - auf der Tafel!) geht - dann versteht er nur - genau: griiiiechisch. Iiiih. Also, ich bin jetzt überzeugt, die Götter sind... also was jetzt...halt... na, göttlich?? Nur, was genau ist jetzt göttlich? Der Film beginnt mit dem Poseidon der aus dem Wasser kommt - sehr passend, und da er außerdem ungefähr zehnmal so groß ist, wie die Menschen, glaube ich auch gerne, dass er groß, mächtig und stark ist... Und wenn er seinen Bruder, den Zeus (Sean Bean) auf der Aussichtsplattform des Empire State Building (welches in New York ist) trifft, wird es ganz offensichtlich, dass der nicht nur sein Bruder ist sondern auch noch mächtiger und stärker (wenn vielleicht auch nicht größer) als Poseidon. Und am Ende des Films, wenn wir den Zeus wiedersehen, ist es völlig klar, wer er ist - Der Boss von ihnen allen! Sehr zufriedenstellend :-) Zwischendrin dann, während der meisten Zeit des Films, ist kein Zeus zu sehen, aber das ist vielleicht auch verständlich - Sein Blitz wurde gestohlen! Schon eine ziemliche Sauerei. Und der Zeus ist sehr, sehr, SEHR schlecht gelaunt deswegen. Er ist außerdem davon überzeugt, dass der Percy, also sein halbmenschlicher Neffe, ihn gestohlen hat. Und das ist der Grund, warum der arme Percy nun quer durch den amerikanischen Kontinent reisen muß. Denn genau! Er ist der Held des Films - und so ist es eigentlich jedem (außer Zeus) klar, das ER nicht der Dieb ist. Was mich jetzt ein wenig verdächtig werden läßt - Zeus, all- oder zumindest sehr mächtig, sehr stark, und, da er seinen Job ja schon seit tausenden von Jahren innehat, ja wohl auch ziemlich clever (und habe ich sehr sehr SEHR schlecht gelaunt erwähnt?) glaubt also - einfach so - dass der Percy der Dieb ist? |
Französischer Trailer |
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Und - einfach so - ist er willens einen Krieg mit den anderen Göttern anzufangen, und hat einfach keine andere Idee, wie er seinen Blitz zurückbekommen kann?? Nicht dass ich die, eh, Klugheit dieses Vorgehens in Frage stellen möchte, aber ist es nicht ein bischen, ein sehr, SEHR kleines bischen kindisch von ihm? Ich kann mir nicht helfen - oben auf dem Empire State Building zu stehen und seinen Bruder zu beschuldigen - DU warst's (oder dein Nachwuchs) - kenne ich dieses Verhalten nicht von woanders her? - Und sein Bruder, der prompt in der sehr, sehr, SEHR langen Tradition von Bruder-Streitigkeiten mit den durch die Zeit geheiligten Worten antwortet: Ich war's nicht!!! Also echt, oder? Okay, das ist der Grund, warum Percy aufbricht - Er muß drei Perlen finden, die ihn und seine Kameraden Annabeth, Halbgöttin und Tochter von Athene, und Grover, Halb-Ziegenbock, nach Hades und zurückbringen. Und das muß er tun, weil der Hades seine Mutter gekidnappt hat, weil er nämlich auch den Blitz will (Und GENAU, gut erinnert an die griechische Geschichte - der ist auch ein Bruder von Zeus und Poseidon)... So haben wir also jetzt hier diese Jugendlichen, die die Arbeit von den Erwachsenen tun, und sich tatsächlich erwachsener benehmen als diese, und Percy und seine Freunde sind natürlich erfolgreich in ihrem Tun, und am Ende haben wir die Götter, die sich nicht so erwachsen benehmen - aber offensichtlich eine Menge Spaß dabei haben. Was mich am Ende zu de Erkenntnis bringt, dass das nicht nur ein Kinderfilm ist: Denn Kinder wollen wie die Älteren sein, erwachsen und so, aber auf keinen Fall kindisch - wie die Götter in diesem Film sind. Und es ist kein Erwachsenenfilm. Dafür hätte es den Arnold Schwarzenegger gebraucht, der als Percy Jackson schon gezeigt hätte, wo der Hammer hängt, und wieviel Feuerwerk man mit so einem Blith veranstalten kann, oder, kurz gesagt, wie man mächtig und stark sein kann, wie ein Gott. Was mich am Ende zu der einen Gruppe bringt, die noch übriggeblieben ist. Und wenn es zutrifft, dass die Götter unendlich gerne lachen und sich von uns Menschen unterhalten lassen wollen, dann wird es blendend klar, das das ein Film - für die Götter ist! :-) rg/21. February 2010 |
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Quelle: Moviestar, 2/2010  |
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..... Der Film-Percy war erfreulicherweise etwas älter angelegt als der Buch-Percy - oder sollte er tatsächlich erst 12 gewesen sein? - und recht niedlich anzusehen (und selbst wenn er das nicht gewesen wäre, so war mir das eh nach fünf Minuten wurscht, weil nämlich da der Anblick von Sean Bean in der kleinen, aber feinen Rolle als Zeus mein Herz erfreut hatte). Ich könnte mir vorstellen, dass bei seinem Anblick ordentlich Kreischalarm in so mancher Mädchenclique angesagt ist. .... Aus: Geschafft! Schreiben kann jeder. Nur lesen mag's keiner, 19. Februar 2010 |
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Kevin McKidd: From 'Grey's' to the deep blue sea ... Director Chris Columbus, who also directed the first two "Potter" films, said that McKidd brought a "quiet power" to the role of the sea god and that his experience in historical roles gave him the gravity needed to be a Greek statue come to life. Still, McKidd said that he and Sean Bean, who plays Zeus, had a rough time during one scene keeping a straight face despite their years of experience. "There's a scene where we meet and we glare at each other and the music is going and the lightning and I walk up and say, 'Zeus,' and he greets me, 'Poseidon,' and after a couple of takes we started chatting just about how silly it all is," McKidd said. "Now Sean is a real giggler. Once he starts he can't stop. ... And this not a cheap scene, this is expensive. And there we are laughing. ... " From: Kevin McKidd: From 'Grey's' to the deep blue sea, Los Angeles Times, February 13, 2010 |
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GREEK GOD: Sean Bean in Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief - VIDEO Published Date: 10 February 2010 SHEFFIELD'S Sean Bean has always been regarded as something of a Greek God - now he plays one, in new family adventure romp Percy Jackson and The Lightening Thief. .... Sean told The Star: "It's a bit like the Harry Potter series - it's a good old family adventure film. "We had great fun making the film and it has a great cast." source: www.thestar.co.uk |
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Movie review: 'Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief' As in most of the magical adolescent movie stars go, the teenage deuce-ace forming the core of the film "Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief" fails to match up with the gang from Gryffindor. What matters the most is the casting! The movie is the translation of the first book from a five volume series about a lad who finds him to be the half-human, half-divine son of Poseidon, the Greek God written by Rick Rordan to the screen. The writer’s fans will be disheartened to see that the main character in the movie has gone from a flippant oddity that wakes up with superpowers to, well, a failure. In the book, Rordan has characterized him as a superhero such as Holden Caulfield with a sword. Furies and hydras are the ones who have been transformed from people called "phonies." Logan Lerman has been cast as Percy, who is a sweet young man with lovely hairs but doesn’t have any recognizable interior life. The director has used the special effects which have more going on at the back of their eyes.Alexandra Daddario, who plays the smart gal role of the Goddess Athena's daughter Annabeth fails to make a mark with her performance. Both Daddario and her co-star turn the characters of Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens appear like Tracy and Hepburn. The actor who has left an impression on the audiences is Brandon T. Jackson. He portrays the character of Percy's best friend Grover who is goofy, jive-talking satyr. Most of the movie is able to
carry on the adaptation by director Chris Columbus and screenwriting by
Craig Titley. As the story progresses the lead character Percy is
accused of stealing a lightning bolt which is the dearest possession of
Zeus played by Sean Bean. The
young lad and comrade are all set to put the things back into their
right place that means they just not have to bring out the real thief
but also have to save Percy's mortal mother played by Sean Bean, who
has been kidnapped by Hades played by Steve Coogan. This is what show business is all about. Whereas the book had sooooooo much going on in it. Anyways !!! Luckily, the director has kept two great story parts largely intact: one is when the kids run into Medusa played by Uma Thurman, who is dressed in a coif of wriggling, computer-generated snakes and the other one when Percy, Annabeth and Grover get ambush in a Las Vegas casino with a group of drugged-out lotus eaters. What is going to hurt the fans the most is that the movie is missing the true voice of the book. The way Riordan has realized Percy's sense of humor has given readers a sardonic delight. Literary adventures of Percy's though being violent at times but have always tempered with narrative wit. The movie lacks a magical effect as it has been taken little more seriously. It's not just less funny as compared to the book but also has less fun. The movie runs for 119 minutes. Releases on February 19. Source: NY Breaking News, Feb. 18, 2010 |
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Lightening Thief
offers film of Olympian proportions It's not easy to take a book like The Lightening Thief and turn it into a good film. The film has to stand on its own, but it also has to please the audience who loved the book. Chris Columbus tries to walk that line, but he's only partially successful. The most powerful weapon in creation, Zeus' (Sean Bean) thunderbolt, has been stolen. Zeus believes Poseidon's (Kevin McKidd) son Percy (Logan Lerman) has stolen it. Poseidon pleads his and his son's innocence, but Zeus won't listen. He demands that his bolt be returned by the summer solstice or there'll be war. Percy has no idea who or what his father is. All he knows is he's suddenly being attacked by monsters from Greek mythology. His best friend Grover (Brandon T. Jackson), who turns out to be part goat, and his mom Sally (Catherine Keener) try to get him to safety. They get Percy to a place called Camp Half Blood, but Sally doesn't make it. Before Percy can come to terms with what's happened, and who he is, Hades (Stephen Coogan) comes calling. He demands that Percy give him the bolt, and in return he'll release Percy's mother. It doesn't matter that Percy doesn't have the bolt, he still has to rescue his mom. Grover and Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario), a daughter of Athena, join Percy on his quest. Together the three attempt to save Percy's mother, and discover who the real lightening thief is. I liked The Lightening Thief. The special effects effectively create a world of mythology. Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, and Alexandra Daddario aren't totally at ease in their roles, but they aren't bad either. It doesn't hurt that they're supported by some great actors like Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Kevin McKidd, Stephen Coogan, Rosario Dawson and Uma Thurman. On its own, it's a decent film. It's a decent film, but it's not a great film. It's not fair to
compare the
movie to the book, but it's hard to ignore when major characters and
major plot points are left out. Ares is one of the characters left out.
By dropping him from the movie we miss out on what could have been the
most spectacular scene in the film. Instead we get an anti-climactic
fight between Percy and another demigod. It's not bad, but I wanted to
see Percy take on the God of War. On its own The Lightening Thief is good. It just wasn't as good as it could have been. Mark Haskins' column is a regular feature of the EMC. Source: St. Lawrence EMC, Posted Feb 18, 2010 |
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Weekend Box Office Review for 02/15/10 It wasn't terribly difficult to predict that a star-studded romantic comedy would rule over the long Valentine's Day weekend, especially one conveniently titled Valentine's Day. .... Second place went to the surprisingly strong would-be franchise starter, Percy Jackson and the Olypmians: The Lightning Thief. Directed by the man who started the Harry Potter franchise (Chris Columbus), this $95 million adaption of a popular young-adult fantasy series grossed $31.2 million over three days and $38.6 million over four. While it's no Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Twilight, or The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the opening exceeds the $19 million three-day debut of The Spiderwick Chronicles, the $23 million debut of Eragon, and the $27 million opening of The Golden Compass (in the name of mercy, we won't bring up The Seeker: The Dark is Rising). While I questioned the marketing campaign which seemed to be hiding the all-star cast (the flick stars Sean Bean, Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman, Rosario Dawson, Catherine Keener, and Joe Pantoliano), one could argue that Fox's work was done when it attached the trailer to every print of Avatar back in December. Besides, now that I've seen the film (it's pretty mediocre with a ghastly second act), I can attest that only Pierce Brosnan and Catherine Keener are in the picture for any length of time (most have fewer minutes of screentime than Julia Roberts in Valentine's Day). Barring a complete collapse (I can only presume that the books were better, so expect a revolt from fans), this one should slide past $100 million with equally bountiful overseas business. So, unless Sony steals away lead Logan Lerman for their 3D Spider-Man reboot, this is the start of a new series for Fox (Fox would probably just recast and press ahead regardless). Third place went the much-delayed and much-troubled horror throwback, The Wolfman. .... Source:The Huffington Post, February 17, 2010 |
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Demi-gods cruise underworld It was inevitable that a high-school character starring in a film subtitled The Lightning Thief would have a one-note refrain: "I di'n't do it!" That's Percy Jackson in a nutshell. Someone has stolen Zeus's master bolt. Suspicions fall on Percy (Logan Lerman), son of Poseidon, though he starts the film unaware of his divine paternity; all he knows is he likes to sit at the bottom of swimming pools. Hades kidnaps Percy's human mother (Catherine Keener) to convince this aqua-manchild to bring him the bolt. Now Percy must go to hell and back to rescue his mom and convince the ruler of the underworld: "I di'n't do it!" Of course, any quest of that magnitude isn't going to be simple. You think the culture that gave us such light reading as The Iliad is going to make this a short trip? There's more exposition in the film than a speech by Castro, much of it laughably wooden and most of it variations on such teen-speak as: "I got this!" To begin, Percy must learn of his divine origins. This is made simple when (A) his English teacher turns into a flying Fury; (B) his classics teacher turns into a centaur; and (C) his best friend, Grover (Brandon T. Jackson), reveals himself to be half-man, half-goat. (The correct term is satyrican-American.) Percy then makes his way to a demi-god training facility called Camp Half-Blood. The echoes of Harry Potter make more sense when you recall that director Chris Columbus also helmed the first two boy-wizard films. The story follows some well-grooved paths. Percy meets and is instantly smitten by a daughter of Athena. Her name is Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario), demi-goddess of tresses; her best Olympic event is probably the hair-toss. Pierce Brosnan plays the strangely uninterested leader of Camp Half-Blood who shows Percy around and then announces: "First, we must train!" Cue Rocky Balboas, god of the montage. Percy, Grover and Annabeth decide to make their way to Hades together. This involves a cross-country trek to find some hell-busting magic, and introduces some of the film's more bizarre casting choices. Granted, Sean Bean as Zeus makes sense - anyone who was in The Lord of the Rings and Troy should be able to pull off the role. But what to make of British funnyman Steve Coogan as Hades - and why is he apparently living in Gene Simmons's house, with access to the rocker's wardrobe? About Uma Thurman, let's just say she's the weirdest classical Greek
since Angelina Jolie played Colin Farrell's mom in Alexander. Writer Craig Titley, adapting the first of a popular series of young adult novels by Rick Riordan, strives to make the film's ancient Greek situations feel contemporary. Need to avoid Medusa's gaze? Just use the shiny back of your iPod as a mirror. The movie's labyrinthine plot may appeal to younger fans, but grown-ups
are likely to feel a bit weary. It does carry an interesting message
about learning disabilities, however. Percy's ADHD is said to be his
warrior soul asserting itself, while his dyslexia comes from having a
brain hardwired for a dead language. When he looks at the blackboard,
it literally is all Greek to him. Good thing he's not taking Ritalin. Source: © Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette, February 12, 2010 |
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Metamorphosiert Uma Thurman ist phantastisch, wie sie durch ihren verwunschenen Garten des Bösen streift, am Rande des Highways, zwischen den armseligen Steingestalten, in deren verrenkter Haltung ein letztes Verlangen, in deren Augen eine traurige Neugier liegt. Lauter Menschen, die nicht das vom Leben kriegten, was sie sich wohl erwarteten, die das Schicksal dann versteinerte, der Blick von Uma Thurman besser gesagt, denn Uma Thurman ist Medusa in diesem Film, die antike Medusa, mit schwarzer Brille und Kopftuch, um erst mal den Blick und das Schlangenhaar zu bändigen. In Amerika haben die antiken Götter überlebt in den Bestseller-Romanen von Rick Riordan, und in Amerika haben sie auch ihre Bastardkinder hinterlassen, die sie mit sterblichen Frauen zeugten, und im Camp Half-Blood werden diese Halbgötter, sobald sie mal gespannt haben, was mit ihnen los ist, in allen möglichen Kampfkünsten geschult. Es ist eine bewegende Heimkehr, die dieser Film feiert, auch in filmhistorischer Selbstreflexion, junge amerikanische Helden träumen von europäischen Ursprüngen, und der Hollywood-Kosmos scheint plötzlich nichts anderes als eine moderne Variante der Metamorphosen des Ovid. Chris Columbus, der erfolgreiche Kids-Regisseur, ist in die Jahre gekommen, er dreht die jugendlichen Actionszenen mit hektischer Routine ab, aber er hat eine Menge Spaß mit den alten Göttern, die allesamt ein wenig wichtigtuerisch sind und flegelhaft, Sean Bean als Zeus, Steve Coogan als Hades, Rosario Dawson als Persephone. Und Pierce Brosnan als zotteliger Zentaur, der - nächste Woche kommt er als Ex-Premier in Polanskis "Ghost writer" - damit das Satyrspiel vor der Tragödie präsentiert. göt Quelle: süddeutsche.de, 11.02.2010, 03:15 Uhr |
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Ohne Statussymbole geht’s halt nicht (mon) Die Götter der griechischen Antike haben eine sympathische Eigenschaft: Sie sind so menschlich. Was neben Liebe, Lust und Leidenschaft auch Gefühle wie Gier, Neid und Eifersucht einschließt, aber auch den Hang zu Statussymbolen. Jenes von Göttervater Zeus ist der Blitz, und weil ihm den jemand entwendet hat, droht er mit Krieg. Zeus verdächtigt übrigens einen gewissen Percy Jackson, den Sohn seines Bruders Poseidon. Der wiederum hat selbstverständlich keine Ahnung von seinem berühmten Vater, seltsame Erscheinungen wie seine Kenntnisse der griechischen Sprache, die er nie gelernt hat, oder mysteriöse Stimmen in seinem Kopf verdrängt er. Doch seine Abstammung – göttlicher Vater, menschliche Mutter – macht ihn nun einmal zu einem Halbgott mit allen Konsequenzen. Fröhlich-witziger Geschichtsunterricht Abgesehen von hübschen Sets, vielen filmischen Zitaten und großteils guten Dialogen bestechen vor allem die Darsteller, die je nach Rolle mit Verve, Witz und Pathos an die Sache herangehen: Da darf Sean Bean als Zeus solange nur donnern, bis er wieder sein Lieblingsspielzeug in Händen hält, Kevin McKidd gibt sich als Poseidon feucht-pathetisch, Pierce Brosnan gefällt als weiser Chiron beziehungsweise im Rollstuhl sitzender Museumsführer in der Antikensammlung des Metropolitan Museum of Art, Steve Coogan gibt einen Punkrock-gestylten Hades, Rosario Dawson eine sexy-aufmüpfige Persephone und Uma Thruman eine genial-selbstironische Medusa samt Schlangenhaupt. In der Hauptrolle des vermeintlichen Diebes macht der junge Logan Lerman positiv auf sich aufmerksam, wogegen Alexandra Daddario als seine Kampfgefährtin Annabel ein wenig farblos bleibt. Herrlich frech dagegen zeigt sich Brandon T. Jackson als Percys farbiger Satyr-Freund Grover. Wie modern die Antike immer noch ist und wie spannend man sie verpacken kann, hat Columbus hiermit bewiesen. Quelle: Wiener Zeitung, Printausgabe vom 11. Feb. 2010 |
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Ein wilder Mix aus der Mythologie Die Komödie "Percy Jackson - Diebe im Olymp" von Regisseur Chris Columbus nimmt es mit den Göttern nicht so genau. Mathematik-Lehrerinnen sind besondere Frauen. Immer ein bisschen streng, immer ein bisschen freudlos, immer ein bisschen unwillig ob der Ahnungslosigkeit ihrer Schüler. Doch die Mathe-Lehrerin hier stellt alle in den Schatten. Bei einem Schulausflug bittet sie Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) zum Gespräch - und entpuppt sich als fliegende Rachegöttin, die aus irgendeinem Grund ganz schön sauer ist. Rettung naht von einem anderen Lehrer, Mr. Brunner (Pierce Brosnan). Er sitzt im Rollstuhl, ist aber ein Zentaur. Zentauren? Sind das nicht diese Fabelwesen aus Pferdeleib und menschlichem Oberkörper? Genau, und während man sich noch fragt, ob Pierce Brosnan mit Pferdehintern nicht ziemlich merkwürdig aussieht, hagelt es Erklärungen. Percy ist der Sohn Poseidons (Kevin McKidd), des griechischen Meeres-Gottes. Der Milchbubi ist also ein Halbgott, der in einem Pfadfinder-ähnlichen Camp lernen muss, was Halbgötter so alles draufhaben. Die Handlung kommt in Gang, als Percy beschuldigt wird, den Herrscherblitz seines Onkels Zeus (Sean Bean) geklaut zu haben. Hades (Steve Coogan), noch ein Onkel, hat inzwischen Percys Mutter (Catherine Keener) in die Unterwelt entführt. Dem Jungen bleibt nicht anderes übrig, als den wahren Dieb des Blitzes zu finden ... Keine Angst vor den ollen Griechen - zumal das Zielpublikum den zugrunde liegenden ersten Band der Percy-Jackson-Reihe, geschrieben von Rick Riordan, kennen dürfte. Regisseur Chris Columbus, mit zwei "Harry Potter"-Filmen Fantasy-erprobt, bedient sich denn auch ungeniert der Mythologie und wirft nach Gutdünken alles durcheinander. Da gibt es Satyrn, Gorgonen und Amazonen. Nicht zu vergessen Medusa, die von Uma Thurman mit Schlangenhaar (Lob an die Abteilung Spezialeffekte!) und sehr viel Sinn fürs Übertriebene lustvoll dargeboten wird. Natürlich geht das Ganze nicht ohne wehrhafte Mädels und lustigen Sidekick. Percy stehen die schöne Anna Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario) und der bockbeinige Grover (Brandon T. Jackson) zur Seite. Die Dramaturgie des Films - zur Rettung der Welt müssen die Kids drei Perlen finden - ist schlicht, die Dialoge beschränken sich auf knappe Handlungsanweisungen, ein Ausflug in die Glitzerwelt von Las Vegas wirkt deplaziert. Ein unausgegorener Film also, der den angestrebten Erfolg der "Harry Potter"-Serie wohl nicht erreichen wird. Quelle: Hamburger Abendblatt, 11. Februar
2010, 07:06 Uhr |
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"Percy Jackson": Neues Leben für alte Götter Alles beginnt mit einem geheimen Treffen zweier Männer auf der Aussichtsplattform. Es kommt zum Streit. Das ist nicht völlig ungewöhnlich, bis sich die beiden beim Namen nennen... Es handelt sich um Zeus und Poseidon. Mächtige Götter der griechischen Mythologie. Sie sind Brüder und definitiv nicht in ihrer Zeit! Zeus’ (Sean Bean) Herrscherblitz, Symbol der Macht, wurde gestohlen. Neben seinem zweiten Bruder Hades (Steve Coogan) – Herrscher der Unterwelt – verdächtigt Zeus auch den jungen Halbgott Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman), Sohn des Poseidon (Kevin McKidd) und stellt ein Ultimatum... Mit „Percy Jackson – Diebe im Olymp“ wagt
sich Regisseur Chris Columbus („Harry Potter und der Stein
der Weisen“, „Harry Potter und die Kammer des
Schreckens“) an die gleichnamige Romanreihe von Rick Riordan.
Eine Geschichte über die griechische Mythologie, ihre Helden
und den jungen Halbgott Percy Jackson. Dabei erweckt Columbus die
mächtigen Götter zu neuem Leben. Sogar auf
Liebschaften mit Menschen lassen sie sich ein, schließlich
kennt die Liebe keine Grenzen. Der Kontakt zum Nachwuchs aber ist
verboten, weshalb die Kinder, Halbgötter, ohne Wissen
über ihre Kräfte und Ahnen aufwachsen. So auch Percy. Quelle: Oberbayrisches Volksblatt, 10. Feb. 2010 |
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Percy Jackson: Harry Potter erhält Konkurrenz Noch wartet die Leinwand auf zwei Harry-Potter-Filme, doch in der Zwischenzeit dürfte sich sein Nachfolger etablieren: Am Freitag läuft „Percy Jackson – Diebe im Olymp“ an. Der Macher: Chris Columbus (51), einer der erfolgreichsten Hollywood-Regisseure. Auf seiner Regieliste stehen die ersten beiden Potter-Filme sowie Megahits wie „Gremlins“, „Kevin – Allein zu Haus“ und „Mrs. Doubtfire“. Der Autor: Rick Riordan, der griechische Mythologie unterrichtete und seinem älteren Sohn Haley die griechischen Sagen als GuteNacht-Geschichten vorlas. Bis er alles gelesen hatte und der Sohn bat: „Papa, kannst du nichts erfinden?“ Riordan erfand 2005 die Figur des Percy Jackson, eines Schülers mit Lernproblemen, gleichzeitig aber auch Sohn des Poseidon und damit Halbgott. Die Geschichte wurde zum Buch und Bestseller mit Fortsetzungen im Jahresabstand. Im nun verfilmten ersten Band vermisst Zeus seinen Herrscherblitz – die mächtigste Waffe, die je gestohlen wurde. Verdächtigt wird Percy Jackson. Der muss seine Unschuld beweisen und gerät in die unglaublichsten Abenteuer. Nebenbei: Der Eingang zur von Hades beherrschten Unterwelt liegt in Los Angeles, nahe der berühmten „Hollywood“-Buchstaben. Chris Columbus: „Im Grund eine einzigartige Idee, die Welt der Antike mit dem modernen Amerika zu verbinden, als unheimliche, übernatürliche Auseinandersetzung zwischen Gut und Böse.“ Neben Hauptakteur Logan Lerman („Er könnte ein zweiter Leonardo DiCaprio werden“) angelte Columbus für die Götterrollen Top-Namen. Sean Bean ist Zeus, Ray Winstone der Kriegsgott Ares, Steve Coogan ein köstlicher Hades, Uma Thurman eine hinreißende Medusa. Der größte Coup: Ex-James-Bond Pierce Brosnan sagte für eine Doppelrolle zu. Als Professor Brunner, der im Rollstuhl sitzt und griechische Mythologie unterrichtet, ebenso aber als mächtiger und weiser Zentaur Chiron. Für Brosnan war es ein Risiko, sich als Zentaur, halb Mensch, halb Pferd, zu kostümieren: „Aber ich bin einst ja Schauspieler geworden, um alles zu spielen. Ich bin als Chiron an meine Anfänge zurückgekehrt. Ich leitete damals eine Truppe namens Theater Spiel. Wir gingen auf Stelzen, waren Clowns und Feuerschlucker. Das war Theater mit echter Zirkusatmosphäre.“ Auch für „Percy Jackson“ stieg Brosnan als Zentaur auf Stelzen – um die Höhe eines Pferdekopfes zu erreichen: „Unglaublich mühsam! Denn so ein Pferd muss einen ganz schönen Arsch mit sich herumschleppen.“ Quelle: OÖ Nachrichten, 10. Februar 2010, 00:04 Uhr |
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Kid-friendly "Percy Jackson" proves short on magic NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Besides possessing the young year's lengthiest and most ungainly title, "Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief" is also notable for being Hollywood's latest attempt to turn a series of popular kid-friendly fantasy novels into the next "Harry Potter"-like film franchise. Since virtually all the previous efforts have ended in failure -- anyone remember "The Spiderwick Chronicles" or "The Seeker: The Dark is Rising?" -- the forces behind "Percy Jackson" are pulling out all the stops to make the movie click. For starters, they've tapped talented up-and-comer Logan Lerman to play the title role and surrounded him with such established stars as Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean and Uma Thurman. The movie's scale is also grand, taking its demigod teen hero from the mean streets of New York to the fiery pits of Hades before ending up in the halls of Olympus, encountering a number of gods and goddesses (and a minotaur or two) along the way. Meanwhile, the man overseeing the action behind the camera is none other than Chris Columbus, who got the "Harry Potter" movies off the ground nine years ago. So has "Percy Jackson" successfully cracked the "Potter" code? In terms of overall quality, not even close. Still, the film's carefully calibrated mixture of CGI-enhanced spectacle, diverting (and blood-free) action sequences and adolescent angst could make it a modest hit with the 8- to 12-year-old set when 20th Century Fox releases it Friday (February 12). Where Harry's exploits attract audiences of all ages, though, Percy's appeal seems strictly limited to the family moviegoing crowd; anyone outside of that demo is better off waiting for part one of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," due in theaters in November. Adhering to the same "hero's journey" narrative that has driven almost every cinematic fantasy-adventure since "Star Wars," the inaugural installment of this would-be franchise introduces viewers to Percy Jackson (Lerman), a surly teenager who discovers that he is the offspring of the Greek god Poseidon (Kevin McKidd). This news couldn't come at a more difficult time; a war is brewing amongst the gods over Zeus' (Bean) stolen lightning bolt, and Percy is widely assumed to be the thief. Spirited away to a demigod boot camp with the inelegant name Camp Half Blood, the novice hero is trained in the art of war and allies himself with a wisecracking Satyr (Brandon T. Jackson) and the goddess Athena's butt-kicking daughter Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario). Together, the trio head back into the real world to save Percy's human mother (Catherine Keener) from the clutches of Hades (Steve Coogan) and find a way to avert the coming clash of the titans. "The Lightning Thief" is at its best when Columbus and screenwriter Craig Titley find ways to put a fun contemporary spin on some of the familiar names and storylines from Greek mythology. In his battle with snake-haired Medusa (Thurman), for example, Percy relies on the reflective surface on the back of his iPod in place of a mirror. The island of the Lotus Eaters, meanwhile, has been transformed into a lavish Las Vegas nightclub where time literally stands still. But the film's haphazard plotting and bland characterizations often undermine these clever conceits. It's particularly unfortunate that the lone black character essentially functions as the white hero's servant. What's really lacking in "The Lightning Thief" is a genuine sense of wonder, the thing that brings viewers back to Hogwarts over and over again. Percy's world seems like a decent place to visit, but it's just not magical enough to make you want to live there. Source: Reuters |
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Shoot an Olympic effort Director Chris Columbus was making his own Olympic preparations last summer in Vancouver. The Harry Potter director was filming Percy Jackson & the Olympians, another fantasy adventure that could become the first of a movie series if audiences take to it the way he hopes. In a bid for marketing synergy, the movie opens across North America Friday, the day the Vancouver Olympics start. The movie is about a Brooklyn kid (American actor Logan Lerman) who discovers that he's the son of a Greek god, and that the gods are locked in a modern-day supernatural battle between good and evil. Mount Olympus, the home of the gods, is in a cloud high above New York's Empire State Building. That meant building a replica of the building's observation deck on the production's huge Burnaby sound stage. "We'll see what happens," Columbus said as the four-month shoot neared
an end last July. The movie is based on a series of teen novels. "If
people accept the picture, then I'll come back and do another one. The
studio would want me to start immediately." The adult cast includes Pierce Brosnan as a centaur and Uma Thurman as Medusa, with digital effects adding the horse body to him and the snake hair to her. Others in divine and mortal roles include Catherine Keener, Ray Winstone, Sean Bean, Steve Coogan and Scottish actor Kevin McKidd (Grey's Anatomy) as Percy's father, the sea god Poseidon. The movie was Columbus' second directing stint in Vancouver, after the
high school comedy I Love You Beth Cooper filmed there the previous
year. In addition, Columbus was a producer of the Vancouver-filmed
Night at the Museum and its sequel. The Vegas casino set filled with
extras this day was a rebuilding of the art gallery set from the second
Night at the Museum. Alouette Lake, which had a few minutes onscreen behind Hayden Panettiere in Beth Cooper, gets a featured role in Percy Jackson as the setting for a camp for half-god teens. This day's scene involved the three teen stars being trapped in an
enchanted casino where time stops. They escape by stealing a Maserati
and driving it through a window, an exterior scene that was filmed
earlier at the Bayshore Hotel. So with the real Vegas off-limits, Cummings recreated it on Coal
Harbour on Vancouver Island. © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen, Feb 10, 2010 |
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Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief What's it all about? As an example… Dr Brunner: "They would 'hook up' with mortals, the children of these unions were half god, half human." What the others say "Young fans of the books will be the main targets for the film, but in truth it is darn good family entertainment for everyone." - The Daily Mirror So is it any good? The plot is equally fantastical, only instead of a wizard conspiracy it is the mythical Greek god's that are actually real, their demi-god offspring littering the world, with most ending up at the 'half-blood camp' to hone their skills. An all-star cast is also present, with Pierce Brosnan transformed into the mentor Centaur, Sean Bean as the lightening-less Zeus, Uma Thurman playing Medusa, and best of all, a Saxondale-esque Steve Coogan as god of the underworld; Hades. But before becoming too cynical, there are some crucial differences:
the film is set in America, so his friend (and goat-legged watcher)
Grover is instead a stereotypical wise-cracking black guy, our hero is
a dashing Zac Effron-a-like, and their quest takes them to Nashville
(the Parthenon), Vegas (the Layer of the Lotus eaters) and the Empire
State building (the gateway to Olympus). It may have a daft title, ludicrous plot, and some pretty hammy acting,
but it is still a genuinely entertaining and exciting family film. |
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| Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief Soundtrack ABKCO Records will release both the physical and digital soundtrack from Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, the much anticipated feature film based on the first book in author Rick Riordan's best selling Percy Jackson series. The Twentieth Century Fox film was directed by Chris Columbus (Gremlins, The Goonies, Home Alone, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Night at the Museum) and will debut in theaters nationwide on February 12TH. ABKCO will release the album, featuring Christophe Beck's original score digitally on February 9TH, with a physical album release to follow on February 16TH. In the film, trouble-prone teen Percy Jackson is having problems at school – but that's the least of his challenges. It's the 21st century, but the gods of Mount Olympus seem to have walked out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology texts and into his life – and they're not happy. Zeus' lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Now, Percy and his friends must embark on a cross-country adventure to catch the true thief, save Percy's family, and unravel a mystery more powerful than the gods themselves. Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief stars Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Sean Bean, Pierce Brosnan, Steve Coogan, Rosario Dawson, Catherine Keener, Kevin McKidd, Joe Pantoliano and Uma Thurman. Christophe Beck's evocative score provides a musical context for the epic struggle between gods and men in this highly anticipated adventure fantasy film. The Canadian-born composer has scored numerous films including The Hangover, What Happens In Vegas, The Pink Panther, We Are Marshall, Under the Tuscan Sun, Fred Claus, Charlie Bartlett, Cheaper By The Dozen and won an Emmy for his work on Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Commenting on his work on the score for Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Beck noted, "Working on "Percy Jackson" gave me a fantastic opportunity to write a richly thematic and full-bodied symphonic score. This is the kind of project that composers dream of scoring, and I'd like to thank Chris Columbus for making it such a great experience." Track Listing: 1. Prelude 2. The Minotaur 3. Chiron 4. Victory 5. The Fury 6. Dyslexia 7. The Hydra 8. Medusa 9. Son of Poseidon 10. The Parthenon 11. Hollywood 12. Lost Souls 13. Fighting Luke, Part 1 14. Fighting Luke, Part 2 15. Hades 16. Mount Olympus 17. Poseidon 18. Homecoming 19. End Credits Sources: http://www.antimusic.com/news/10/jan/15Percy_Jackson_-_The_Olympians-_The_Lightning_Thief_Soundtrack.shtml ; http://astore.amazon.com/antimusiccom-20/detail/B0032EZC04/181-7890526-4419125 |
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Film of the week: Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief
THE STORY But after a stint in demigod training camp Percy is soon off on a road trip with fellow demigod Annabeth (Daddario) and his satyr protector Grover (Jackson), to clear his name, to rescue his mother and recover Zeus's all-powerful lightning bolt. VERDICT As an added bonus there's game old Pierce Brosnan as a heavily-bearded centaur - half man and half horse playing the "tough, but compassionate" teacher who helps young Percy realise his demigod status. Add to the pot a sultry Uma Thurman as the deadly Gorgon Medusa, Sean Bean as Zeus and Steve Coogan as Hades, Lord of the Underworld, and you have a movie with a lot of good stuff going for it. Smartest bit of casting is rising star Logan Lerman (who appeared in 3:10 to Yuma) as Percy, a trouble-prone teenager with dyslexia. Brandon T Jackson is also engagingly funny as his best bud Grover who turns out to be a satyr (part goat) and Percy's protector-intraining. But sadly Alexandra Daddario is not massively convincing as warrior
girl Annabeth as the trio head off to rescue Percy's mother, who has
been kidnapped by nasty old Hades, and find the missing lightning bolt
Like any young warriors they face mortal perils including a fight with
Medusa and an impressive tussle with a deadly Hydra before they can
complete their quest. FINAL CUT
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Gods and goddesses make Percy Jackson an obvious winner If you were to ask almost any teenager whether they would prefer to go to a US high school or a British public school, the answer would be the former. From Ten Things I Hate About You to Gossip Girl, audiences are familiar with the concept of school featuring jocks, geeks, babes and Queen Bees. The British public school, with its overtones of privilege, snobbery, bullying and racism, has had a darker press, ever since Tom Brown’s Schooldays. So why is it that Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series has not had the success of J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter? Swap wizards and witches for Greek gods and goddesses, and you pretty much have the same story. Exciting, clever, funny and gorgeously satirical about modern America with its power, responsibilities, greed and idealism, Percy Jackson was always an obvious winner. By narrating his story in the first person, the engaging 12-year-old Percy limits his potential audience to present-day children and teenagers. Rowling was always careful to show us only what Harry saw and felt, but the flatness of her prose allowed adults, and children, to put themselves in his place. Percy’s increasingly dangerous quests and puzzles, though satisfying to children, lacked the plotting genius that Rowling brought — and the intellectual rigour of Philip Pullman. The other factor is, perhaps, Percy’s supporting cast. Like Harry, Percy has two best friends — a satyr called Grover and Annabeth, daughter of Athene, with whom (unlike Harry) he falls in love. Both these are well drawn. Yet the eccentric adult characters that made Rowling’s books function as a vehicle for the ranks of British character actors are not. The gods (especially Dionysus) are extremely funny but there is none of the deep emotional connection that made Dumbledore, Hagrid, Sirius and Voldemort so captivating. It may be that the traditional British public school is more deeply rooted in collective unconscious. Percy receives no formal schooling. Much as bored children wish their lives were a constant round of battle and glory, it’s the memory of lessons, house points and examinations that the world enjoys remembering, even in a magical adventure. Source: The Times, February 6, 2010 |
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Harry Potter and the amazingly similar American rival, Percy Jackson Unless you have a child aged between 8 and 12 the chances are you have not yet come across a dyslexic boy demi-god called Percy Jackson. A lot of people in Hollywood are betting that that is about to change, though, and hoping that here, finally, is a rival to the Harry Potter franchise. Percy is the hero of a series of books updating the Greek myths for 21st century America, by a Texan former teacher, Rick Riordan, that have sold nearly ten million copies worldwide. The first film adaptation arrives on Friday. Along with the remake of the 1981 film Clash of the Titans due next month, Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief marks a mini-resurgence of Greek myths on the big screen. However, it is the obvious parallels with J. K. Rowling’s multibillion-pound phenomenon that many will latch on to. The new film is directed by Chris Columbus, who directed the first two Harry Potter films. In deference to the accusations of plagiarism from diehard Potter fans, Columbus recognises that there are “similarities” and says: “We would be fools not to hope for the same kind of audience.” Riordan has stressed that they are “very different kids who live in very different worlds”. Up to a point: while Harry Potter is a recognisably British creation, Percy is a skater boy brought up by a single mother in New York City who discovers that he has divine powers when he accidentally vaporises a teacher. It turns out that the gods of Mount Olympus are alive and well in contemporary America, as Percy learns that he is actually the son of Poseidon, the god of the sea. Like Harry, Percy is whisked away to a training camp at a young age (12 — Harry is 11 when he joins Hogwarts school for wizards). The secret camp is called Camp Half Blood (the sixth Harry Potter book was Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince). Both series feature magical worlds accessed from famous real locations (Kings Cross station in the Potter books, the Empire State Building in the Jackson ones.) We have, of course, been here before. In the film industry as much as in the publishing world, Rowling’s success was so enormous that it sent the moneymen scurrying after any potential heir to her throne. Inevitably they have all fallen short. Among the touted series that have failed to match Rowling’s unique commercial success are G. P. Taylor’s Shadowmancer series, Michelle Paver’s Wolf Brother books and The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black. On book sales alone, Jackson looks unlikely to turn this tide. Worldwide sales are only a fraction of the 400 million-plus copies of the Potter books in circulation. In 2009, the year that Puffin released Percy Jackson & The Olympians, Riordan sold a respectable £811,000 of books in Britain, which made him the 215th bestselling author of the year. The film will help. Even though The Golden Compass disappointed, sales of the Philip Pullman trilogy that it was based on rose about 40 per cent. However, Tom Tivnan, features editor of The Bookseller, says that it is the wrong package at the wrong time. “In the children’s market now it is all about vampires and Stephenie Meyer.” There is one children’s fantasy film on the horizon that could match the impact of the Harry Potter films made to date: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Part 1 arrives in November, and Part 2 is due in July next year. So the books may have come to an end but the film franchise has two eagerly awaited instalments to come. Will we really be saying that on the eve of a fourth Percy Jackson film sometime around 2015? Source: The Times, February 5, 2010 |
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Rosario Dawson: It was wild to play a goddess in Percy Jackson
& The Olympians She is playing the very embodiment of the Earth's fertility, and what
hot-blooded male wouldn't want a piece of her? In costume as Persephone, she is in a low cut, black and purple lace
dress with a bodice, bustle and high-heeled boots. This depiction of Hell is sumptuous, decadent and dark, all candlelight and high ceilings full of Gothic detail. In Greek mythology, Persephone is abducted by Hades and tricked into becoming his wife and Queen of the Underworld . She is also the goddess of springtime and Rosario first thought of wearing robes and flowers. But the actress wanted to go for a modern look with "chipped nail polish and lace" rather than a T-shirt and mini skirt. Instead, she wears a bustle and corset. She said: "It's a little darker
and grungier, a gothic image that I think is quite fascinating. Which is good news to comedian and actor Steve Coogan, who has lucked
out again as Hades. Alan Partridge and Saxondale star Coogan clearly made an impression
with his 30-year-old co-star. "It's almost like watching those dysfunctional family TV shows that I grew up with, where the situations are realistic and couples are having fights and talking to each other in an awful way, but at the same time it's really funny." And what about having Hell in Hollywood? As someone who came from New
York, was discovered at 16 and starred as Ruby in controversial teen
sex and HIV movie Kids in 1995, does she get the idea of Tinseltown's
allure with its dark underbelly? She added: "It would just be awful. I think that's where you feel the descent into Hell, listening to these two people." The film is based on the best-selling book by Rick Riordan, who has now
written five books about Percy, a "halfblood" who discovers he has a
mortal mum but a god (Poseidon, played by Trainspotting's Kevin McKidd)
as a dad. His mum has also disappeared. The powerful supporting cast includes Uma
Thurman as Medusa, Catherine Keener as Percy's mother Sally, Pierce
Brosnan as Chiron the Centaur, Ray Winstone as Ares and Joe Pantoliano
as Percy's stepfather, Gabe. She said: "Chris wrote to me and said, 'I can't imagine anyone else
playing this part but you' and of course I was so excited to hear that." Currently reading the third book in the series, which is tipped to
succeed Harry Potter and Twilight as Hollywood's big franchise, she
admits the novels have made Greek mythology come alive. Always considered one of the hottest young actors of her generation,
she started to feel her age on the film. Rosario grew up in a squat in the Lower East Side of New York with
younger brother Clay. Her parents, who were just 15 when she was born, moved into an
abandoned building when she was six. Her dad, Greg, worked in construction while her mum, Isabel, learned
plumbing and electrical work. She found life amid the grinding poverty was tough, but good. Her early
years inspired her to push on in her career and be thankful for what
she has. The Rocky Horror Picture Show was a "tremendous influence" in her life and says she was inspired to act by the film's star Tim Curry. As well as working as an actress, she has also kept in with the music world. Her voice was used by Prince in a re-release of his famous single 1999 and she starred in the film version of musical Rent. She sang on West Ryder Silver Bullet from Kasabian's current album West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum. And she has appeared on OutKast album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below as well as starring in The Chemical Brothers' video for Out of Control. She said: "I loved multi-talented artists like Grace Jones and David Bowie, who did music and producing and acting, all of it." Rosario is always in demand. As well as Percy Jackson she has thriller
Unstoppable with Denzel Washington and Top Gun director Tony Scott
coming up. Then there's comedy The Zookeeper, which uses the voices of
Sylvester Stallone and Adam Sandler. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is out on
February 12. |
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Film
Kritik: Percy Jackson - Diebe im Olymp Chris Columbus adaptiert die nächste Fantasy-Jugendbuch-Reihe: 'Percy Jackson - Diebe im Olymp'. Die 'Harry Potter'-Reihe neigt sich langsam dem Ende zu - nur noch zwei Filme, dann sind die Abenteuer des Jungzauberers auserzählt. Es ist also an der Zeit, sich nach neuen Helden umzusehen. Einer, der in die magischen Fußstapfen treten könnte, ist Percy Jackson. Immerhin handelt es sich bei dem jungen Mann um einen Halbgott: Poseidon, Herrscher der Meere, ist sein Vater. Chris Columbus, der schon die Potter-Filmserie startete, bringt nun 'Percy Jackson - Diebe im Olymp' in die Kinos, eine Adaption des gleichnamigen Jugendbuchs von Rick Riordon, das erste einer Pentalogie. Percy (Logan Lerman) ist ein relativ normaler New Yorker Teenager, der seinen Stiefvater hasst und ein paar Probleme in der Schule hat. Eines Tages bei einem Schulausflug verändert sich sein gesamtes Leben: Seine Englischlehrerin (Maria Olsen) verwandelt sich in eine Furie (eine griechische Rachegöttin) und attackiert ihn. Zuvor beschuldigt sie den Jungen noch des Diebstahls. Percy muss erfahren, dass er ein Halbgott ist. Er stammt vom griechischen Meeresgott Poseidon (Kevin McKidd) ab. Nun glaubt Himmelsherrscher Zeus (Sean Bean), dass der Teenager seinen mächtigen Blitz gestohlen hat - im Auftrag seines Vaters. Damit droht ein Krieg zwischen den beiden mächtigen Göttern, der nicht nur den Olymp, sondern auch die Welt vernichten könnte.Chris Columbus nahm sich bei seiner Umsetzung mehrere Freiheiten heraus. So wurde das Alter der jugendlichen Protagonisten im Vergleich zum Buch von zwölf auf rund 16 Jahre heraufgesetzt. Außerdem fehlen viele Wendungen in der Handlung, die in der Buchvorlage vorkommen. In den Nebenrollen sind einige prominente Darsteller zu sehen: Unter anderem galoppiert Pierce Brosnan als Zentaur an Percys Seite, und Uma Thurman hat einen Auftritt als Schlangen-Lady Medusa. © 2010 teleschau - der mediendienst |
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Cinema, Februar 2010 Auf Set-Besuch bei "Percy Jackson", dem neuen "Harry Potter" Nachdem er bei den ersten beiden "Harry Potter"-Filmen mehr als 14 Stunden täglich am Set verbracht hat, schwor sich Chris Columbus, so schnell keinen Fantasyfilm mehr mit Kindern zu drehen. Sechs Jahre später steht der 50-jährige Regisseur inmitten des Golden Ears Park außerhalb Vancouvers und dreht mit "Percy Jackson - Diebe im Olymp" doch wieder ein Trickspektakel mit Kindern. "Ich weiß, ich weiß," lacht Columbus, während er beobachtet, wie ein riesiges Feld an den Ufern des Alouette Sees von seiner Crew in eine Art mystisches Militärcamp verwandelt wird. "Aber ich war immer ein Fan der griechischen Mythologie und begeistert von der Idee, sie in unsere Zeit zu verlagern. Bei 'Percy Jackson' geht es nicht um Götter, die in wallenden Gewändern auf dicken Wolken sitzen. Alles hat einen Bezug zur Realität und das hat mich gereizt." Im Film sowie dem ersten Band der zugrunde liegenden und fünf Bände umfassenden Bestseller-Reihe muss der titelgebende Junge erkennen, dass er der Sohn des Poseidon ist, der mit den anderen Göttern der griechischen Antike im neuen Olymp 600 Stockwerke über New Yorks Empire State Building residiert. Die größte Abweichung vom Roman ist Percys Alter. "Ich habe
aus dem 12-jährigen Jungen einen 17-Jährigen gemacht",
gesteht der trotz einer plötzlich aufziehenden Wolkendecke
entspannt wirkende Regisseur. "Der erste 'Harry Potter' bestand im
Grunde aus vielen kleinen Schnitten, da Daniel Radcliffe und die
anderen Kids damals so jung und unerfahren waren, dass wir
höchstens drei oder vier Zeilen Dialog am Stück drehen
konnten. Mehr als fünf Stunden pro Tag durften wir mit ihnen
sowieso nicht arbeiten", erinnert sich Columbus und gesteht: "Damals
träumte ich davon, 12 Stunden am Tag mit Kindern zu drehen, die
bereits Schauspielerfahrung vorzuweisen haben. Die Arbeit mit
Percy-Darsteller Logan Lerman und den anderen Jugendlichen ist also
gleich in doppelter Hinsicht traumhaft." Wie zuvor bei "Harry Potter" lässt Regisseur Columbus die Hauptfiguren von unbekannten Newcomern spielen, vertraut bei den Nebenrollen aber auf bekannte Gesichter. Neben Ex-Bond Pierce Brosnan werden u. a. Uma Thurman als Medusa, Catherine Keener als Percys Mutter, Sean Bean als Zeus und Rosario Dawson als Persephone zu sehen sein. Trotz dieser geballten Starpower wird sich das Hauptaugenmerk aber auf Percy-Darsteller Logan Lerman richten, der bereits seit seinem siebten Lebensjahr im Filmgeschäft arbeitet und gerade am Rande des Sets mit Co-Star Pierce Brosnan herumflachst. Nachdem er bereits als Sohn von Mel Gibson in "Der Patriot" und von Christian Bale in "Todeszug nach Yuma" auf der Leinwand zu sehen war, spielt der 17-Jährige in "Percy Jackson" jetzt erstmals eine Hauptrolle. "Als ich mich auf diesen Film einließ, war mir nicht mal
ansatzweise klar, wie riesig dieses Projekt sein würde," gesteht
der Nachwuchsmime grinsend. "Das änderte sich aber bereits, als
ich nach nur zwei Vorsprechen in eine Art Action-Bootcamp gesteckt
wurde. Da hatte ich zwei Monate lang täglich vier Stunden Training
in Mixed Martial Arts, Schwertkampf und Tauchen - schließlich
spiele ich ja auch den Sohn des Meeresgotts Poseidon!" Am heutigen Drehtag scheint sich Lermans schauspielerisches Trainingslager doppelt auszuzahlen - schließlich spielt die heutige Szene im göttlichen Ausbildungslager "Halbblut". Die wie eine mittelalterliche Festung anmutende Anlage wird von Chiron alias Pierce Brosnan geleitet, der leuchtend blaue Strumpfhosen mit orangefarbenen Markierungen trägt und auf grünen Stelzen herum balanciert. Die befremdliche Kostümierung wird dem Spezialeffektteam in der Postproduktion helfen, die untere Hälfte des Schauspielers durch die Hinterläufe eines Zentauren zu ersetzen. Mit seinem dichten Bart und dem langen Gehstock wie ein altgriechischer Philosoph aussehend, brüllt Brosnan die etwa 80 Statisten an, sich zu versammeln und auf eine Partie "Fang die Flagge" vorzubereiten - die erste von zahlreichen kriegsvorbereitenden Trainingseinheiten für Percy und andere Kinder mit göttlicher Abstammung. Regisseur Chris Columbus dreht diese relativ einfache Sequenz zahllose Male, da er immer wieder mit einem zunehmend frustrierten "Cut!" die Aufnahmen abbricht. Wolken und Wind nehmen ihm immer wieder das Sonnenlicht, verrücken Requisiten und verwehen den Dialog des Hauptdarstellers. Was eigentlich nach fünf Stunden abgedreht sein sollte, dauert inzwischen schon mehr als zehn Stunden. "Ich fürchte, das wir später alles nachsynchronisieren müssen," lamentiert Brosnan, der von seinen Kindern dazu genötigt wurde, in diesem Film mitzuspielen. "Mein Sohn Dylan hat das Buch zweimal gelesen." Als offensichtliche Hommage an sie benutzt Brosnan die Namen seiner Kids, wenn er die Campteilnehmer zur Ordnung ruft. So zäh sich der Dreh gestaltet, so faszinierend ist es, dem Schauspieler beim Laufen zuzusehen. Um sich auf seine Rolle vorzubereiten, hat Brosnan die Bewegungen von Pferden studiert. "Ich weiß, dass manche mich bloß für einen Pferdehintern halten werden," lacht er, "aber ich musste mir tatsächlich Gedanken darüber machen, dass ich als Zentaur beim Gehen ein gigantisches Gesäß hinter mir her schleppe." "Percy Jackson - Diebe im Olymp" startet am 11. Februar in den Kinos. Quelle: cinema.de |
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EXCLUSIVE: Erica Cerra Talks Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief Vancouver based actress Erica Cerra is best known for her role as Deputy Jo Lupo on Syfy's popular TV series Eureka but she is about to make the leap to the big screen with not one but two new films being released in 2010. The first is an adaptation of Rick Riordan's popular series of children's novels called Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. The movie is about a boy named Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) who discovers that he is actually the demigod son of the Greek God, Poseidon (Kevin McKidd). Percy embarks on a journey across modern-day America with his friends, a satyr and the demigod daughter of Athena, to save his mother (Catherine Keener) and return Zeus' (Sean Bean) stolen lightning bolt in order to prevent a war between the Gods. In the film Cerra plays Hera, the Goddess of Marriage, Earth, and Heaven, as well as the wife and sister of Zeus. The film is helmed by Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone director Chris Columbus and opens in theaters on February 12th. The busy actress will also be seen later this year starring opposite wrestler-turned-actor "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in the psychological thriller The Stranger about a mysterious man with a rare form of memory loss. We recently had a chance to catch up with Erica Cerra to talk about Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, her role as Hera, working with the talented cast, how she thinks the film will hold up against the competition and what audiences can expect from and The Stranger. Here is what the talented actress had to say: In "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief," you play the Goddess Hera, was there anything that you learned from your research that helped guide your performance or did you take all of you direction from the script? Erica Cerra: I did do my research. The minute I actually found out about the audition I went and bought all the books and read them. Then I thought I probably needed to do some more research as far as the mythology of Hera, so I did that. There is a lot of truth, I think, to the mythology of Hera, where she is the Mother of all the Gods and the wife of Zeus. She is the Goddess of marriage and she is a little bit up tight and prudish as far as the mythology is concerned. She is definitely not on board with all the activities of the Gods and Goddesses. How they all sort of commingle together and then are off with humanity as well. As far as the script is concerned they were really more or less quite secretive with the script so we only knew what we needed to know. With the series of books, in the story the Gods and Goddesses are there to sort of help Percy and the demigods achieve their goals in each story and in each movie. I'm sure that they will be making the series because I think it's going to be a huge hit. So the Gods and Goddesses are there to help him along and give him advice. Help them out of trouble and so on and so forth. What they'll do with the script and what they'll do with the original story, who knows? Because the stories are a bit different from the script, they kind of rewrote it in a way that will appeal to a broader audience. The storybooks are written more for children so with the movies they kind of upped the scale so it's a bit more ... more adults will be interested in the movie. That being said, I can't necessarily say that they'll follow all of the stories (from the books) but in the stories Hera does help Percy along with one of his missions so in that there is some truth to the mythology of how she deals with him and what goes on in the stories. So not to give too much away, I'm sure that most people have read the books but I think there is some truth in my very long sort of circular answer. In the beginning, yes, I think the mythology does ring true with Hera. In mythology, Zeus is Hera's brother and husband, is that the same in the film and if so, what was it like acting out that strange and awkward relationship with actor Sean Bean who plays Zeus? Erica Cerra: Yeah, she's Zeus's sister. I didn't get to work directly with Sean. We're not in the same scene together. But how it ends up in the later films I'm not sure? I'm actually a big fan of his because I'm a big fan of Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Rings and all the other wicked characters that he's played in the movies. So that was really cool just to meet him in general but as far as ... you know, I don't think Hera and him have a very good relationship at all in these stories. Basically because Zues is thinking about the Gods, he goes off with them, has warfare, kills everybody and because she is the Goddess of marriage she's not into that. So the relationship between them in the movie as well as in the mythology is very similar. I don't think that they have a very strong bond. The series of novels that the film is based on are extremely popular with children and the studio is probably hoping that this will create a new "Harry Potter-type" franchise for them so how do you think the film will appeal to fans of the "Potter" series? Also, the movie is directed by Chris Columbus who directed the first two "Harry Potter" films, so was it comforting to know that he was at the helm? Erica Cerra: You know what, I'm a huge "Harry Potter" fan. I personally think that with myself as a fan, as long as there is truth to the story it will be good and my example to that is "Harry Potter" is British so I love that all the characters are in fact from their heritage. So if they're from Romania they have a Romanian accent, if they're from London they sound like they're from London. All that stuff really rings true and I appreciate it in any film. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is based out of the United States and that rings true. I think that this story is a really great story with respect to what goes on. You know what? I think once you read the novels you understand why it takes place in the United States and what's going on with the Gods and Goddesses, is what's going on now. I don't think I'm giving anything away in saying this, the way the Gods put it is that they go to whichever country or place is the strongest place in the world. Where the power is, that's where the Gods and Goddesses go. So in Greek mythology it was Greece, then it was Rome, then at one point it was England and now it is the United States. So that's why the Gods and Goddesses are residing in the Unite States of America now. So I think that that is really cool. The story is really well written and really well told. So I do think that it will be a huge success. I do think that it will appeal to everyone and that the actors they cast in it are amazing. I think Sean Bean is a wonderful choice for Zeus and I do I think it will be a huge success. I say that because last night I popped in Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone. I just wanted to watch it again. I think it is one of those stories that you can always continue to watch, really enjoy and be entertained. It's something interesting to see and an interesting idea. I do think it will be successful and Chris Columbus is a wonderful director and a great guy. I think him leading them off is a great start to a great story. So yes is my answer. I do, I think it will be a great success. To that end, the film obviously has ties to Greek Mythology as well so how do you think it will stand up against say a film like the remake of "Clash Of The Titans," which opens only a few weeks after your film? Is there enough room in the market place for both films? Erica Cerra: You know what, totally. I am so excited to watch Clash Of The Titans and think it's going to be unbelievable but I do think it's a different kind of movie. "Harry Potter" and "Percy Jackson" can appeal to children, adults and grandparents; it's sort of a broader spectrum. Where with something like Clash Of The Titans you're not going to see little kids at the theater watching that movie. You will very likely see your parents or your friend's parents because they remember the original and they want to see what the remake is going to look like. I do think that Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief will have a broader spectrum. Maybe the young tough guys won't be into Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief but I personally think they should because I think that is one thing that is great about what they did with the film is that I think they opened it up to a broader audience. So I do think where a young guy may not have picked up the novel and loved the great story I think that he will watch the movie and think, "Wow this is a really great movie." So yeah, I do think that there is enough room for both. And I think there is room for more mythology. I think when it comes to fantasy people are always interested in seeing different stories. I don't think that this is the only mythology movie that can happen now. If you think about a movie like The Bourne Identity, there is only room for one movie like that. You can't have five different versions of that story. Because people will watch it and say, "This is the same thing!" With fantasy I think there is so much room. Look at the idea of a young man as the hero, well "Harry Potter" has been done before and that's all well and fine but Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is completely different. It's the same idea, sort of, it's a boy but everything else about the story is different. he film has a really nice mix of young, newer actors and some pretty incredible veteran actors like Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman, Rosario Dawson, Catherine Keener, Ray Winstone and Sean Bean, so did you get to work with all of them and of the actors that you did work with what was that experience like for you? Erica Cerra: Well unfortunately, I didn't get to work with Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman or Rosaria Dawson but as far as the other cast members I got to work with all the Gods. Sean Bean, Kevin McKidd and Ray Winstone, who is an amazing actor. I got to work with a great cast but unfortunately not the whole cast. The scene I'm in, in the first film is basically all the Gods and Goddesses being introduced because in the first film they're not all there throughout the entire movie. Catherine Keener is another person I would have loved to work with but didn't get the chance. But I got to meet them and that was really cool. Logan (Lerman) who plays Percy is great and I enjoyed working with Melina Kanakaredes (CSI: New York) who plays Athena. I worked with a lot of Vancouver based actors and it was great working with them as well. So that being said I got to work with local cast members and some really big, huge stars. The combination was really wonderful and I was excited. In the novels your role gets larger as the series continues so did Chris Columbus or anyone else on set discuss possible sequels to you or were you all just concentrating on making the first film a good one? Erica Cerra: You know what it really wasn't, unfortunately, I wished that they had talked about it more. I think they're really waiting, and this is all speculation I really have no idea, but they're probably waiting for the release of the film in order to determine what's going to happen with the other films. But in my opinion I can't imagine that they won't make the other ones because I just think it looks like it's going to be a huge hit. With the fact that Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows is bringing that series to an end, I do I think our film is going to be a huge hit and I think that the fans will be really thankful that they have another fantasy world to dive into. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief opens in theaters on February 12th Source: MovieWeb |
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