Exclusive: Take a Mind-Bending Journey to the Underworld Set of Percy Jackson Show

Summary

Percy Jackson & The Olympians series brings the Greek Underworld to life with a bleak monotone color scheme and a world turned upside down.

The Underworld is governed by Hades and Persephone, serving as the realm where the deceased undergo judgment and receive retribution for their actions.

The portrayal of the Underworld in the TV series will diverge from the 2010 film adaptation, providing a more authentic and immersive representation.

Percy Jackson & The Olympians production designer, Dan Hennah, reveals insights on how the Disney+ series brought the Greek Underworld from the novels to life. The show is an adaptation of Rick Riordan's series, focusing on the modern-day offspring of the Greek gods and their adventures in a hidden world beneath present-day America. The first season will be based on the initial novel, The Lightning Thief, which follows Percy's quest for Zeus' legendary Master Bolt and his discovery of his divine lineage.

Ahead of its premiere on December 20, Hennah discusses his work on the series and shares details on depicting the Land of the Dead. The designer describes the Underworld as the exact opposite of both the real world and the heavenly realm of Olympus. It possesses a desolate and monochromatic color scheme, completely defying the laws of physics. See Hennah's complete explanation below.

We opted for a monochromatic palette, with various shades of white on gray, on gray, on black, on white, creating a world that is completely inverted. His palace is like an inverted version of Mount Olympus, and the entire concept revolves around the idea of the underworld, with a whole different reality existing above. Instead of a sky, there are mountains and other landscapes, while his world exists below, defying gravity. This setup provides numerous opportunities to explore surreal and extraordinary elements.

Percy Jackson & The Olympians' Underworld Is A Stark Take Compared To Previous Adaptations

Beneath a recording studio in Los Angeles lies the Underworld, a realm ruled by Hades (Jay Duplass), the Greek God sibling of Zeus (Lance Reddick) and Posseidon (Toby Stephens), alongside his wife Persephone. Accessible through an elevator attended by Charon, this domain is where the dead face judgment from historical figures. Their fate is determined as to whether they can peacefully move on, be reborn, or endure fitting yet brutal punishments for their evil deeds in life. In Percy Jackson & The Olympians season 1, Percy (Walker Scobell) and his friends embark on a quest to find the bolt, which leads them into the Underworld and poses challenging situations for the heroic group.

The original 2010 movie adaptation of Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief did include the Underworld, but its portrayal was very different compared to what Hennah has described for the TV show's version. In the movie, the entrance to the Underworld is situated behind the Hollywood sign, and it depicts a more typical representation of Hell. The character Hades, played by Steve Coogan, is portrayed as a Heavy Metal fan and has a dysfunctional relationship with Persephone, played by Rosario Dawson. Despite the promise of a more faithful adaptation by Riordan, it appears that the TV show still allowed the production team to have fun in imagining the future of the Underworld.

Hennah's description of the Underworld in Percy Jackson & The Olympians is both gloomy and captivating, setting it apart from other depictions in the media. The Camp Half-Blood set for the series has already impressed with its remarkable practical sets, bringing the Demigod refuge to life. As a result, Hennah's hint about the use of practical effects and visual effects to bring Hades' realm from the book to the screen has left some people curious.

Source: The Geeky Waffle