Lin-Manuel Miranda has joined the cast of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the upcoming Disney+ series based on Rick Riordan’s popular series of children’s fantasy novels, Deadline reports.
Miranda, best known for his Broadway musicals In the Heights and Hamilton, will play Hermes, the Greek god of travelers and heralds, and the father of the character Luke, played by Charlie Bushnell.
Riordan’s novels follow the titular character, a 12-year-old boy who discovers that he’s a demigod and attends a Long Island training camp for other children who are part of the pantheon. Riordan recently announced that he’ll publish a new novel in the series next year.
The books were adapted into two films in 2010 and 2013, respectively. The movies were unpopular with critics, and with Riordan himself, who has strongly criticized them in the past.
The Disney+ series, scheduled to air in 2024, stars Walker Scobell, Leah Jeffries, and Aryan Simhadri, and will also feature guest actors including Megan Mullally, Jason Mantzoukas, and Suzanne Cryer.
On his website, Riordan praised Miranda as a “genuinely nice and decent person.”
“Lin-Manuel’s presence [on set] only made it better,” he wrote. “He was generous and kind, and delivered a performance that ignites the screen. Wait until you see him with Percy and Annabeth. Wow. The best part was watching him work with our young stars—what an incredible experience for them and for us!”
Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.
