The Challenges of Creating Medusa in Percy Jackson and the Olympians

The Complex CGI Challenges of Medusa

Percy Jackson's Medusa doesn't have it easy. Jessica Parker Kennedy, who plays Medusa in the Disney+ show Percy Jackson and the Olympians, didn't have much fun with the show's special effects. The fantasy elements of the series require a lot of special effects.

Jessica Parker Kennedy as Medusa from the Percy Jackson and the Olympians trailer

Percy Jackson and the Olympians follows the titular character as he learns that his absent father is actually a Greek god, and he gets a crash course in his demigod heritage. Each season of the series is expected to adapt one of the novels in the series from Rick Riordan, who also serves as a producer on the show.

Percy (Walker Scobell), Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries), and Grover (Aryan Simhadri) look out in Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

With the series being a closer adaptation of the first book in Rick Riordan's novel series than the previous movies, Percy Jackson and the Olympians presents a wide variety of monsters and gods. Medusa, who terrorized Percy Jackson in the first book in the series, is one of the most difficult, as the studio replicates a mass of living snakes lashing around a human being's head. In Greek mythology, Medusa is a gorgon, a being that can turn others to stone, but she's best known for those living snakes, which need to be brought to life with computer-generated imaging in Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Medusa standing in front of her stone garden in Percy Jackson and the Olympians

The previous adaptation of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief featured Uma Thurman in the role of Medusa, and though the character initially had her 'hair' wrapped, CGI snakes were used to bring her to life as well. Kennedy's look as Medusa is very different in the television series. Her character wears hats that keep her hair covered and veils that keep her eyes obscured when she initially meets Percy and his friends, though they all know right away that she's actually Medusa. Keeping her head covered for most of the scenes means that only the confrontation between Medusa and Percy's friends has to employ a larger amount of CGI.

Jessica Parker Kennedy as Medusa with her eyes and snake hair in Percy Jackson and the Olympians episode 3

According to Kennedy, capturing Percy Jackson and the Olympians' Medusa effects are a major CGI challenge. In an interview with Cageside, she revealed just how difficult the filming was, as not only was she forced to deal with the limitations of practical effects, but she also had to cope with the discomfort of using CGI as well. Check out what Kennedy shared below:

Leah Jeffries as Annabeth smiling at her magical New York Yankees cap in Percy Jackson episode 2

Parts of the scenes we did with some prosthetic snakes, so that was very cool. And other stuff, I had the little mo-cap on my head, which is like a very ridiculous, horrible looking little cap that doesn't flatter anyone. And so I was doing this regal part with that on. So you really just have to deep dive into character and do the best that you can, but it's easy because the writing is really wonderful in the show. I think people are going to love it.

Percy Jackson getting ready to fight during capture the flag in Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Kennedy won't be the only one who has to deal with the discomfort of using special effects. Aryan Simhadri, who plays Grover in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, will likely have to cope with a mo-cap suit over the entirety of his lower body, as, after all, Grover is secretly a satyr. Another major challenge will be the entire trip to the Underworld, which will require an overwhelming amount of equipment and also a huge drain on the show's budget. With the Percy Jackson universe revolving around classic Greek and Roman deities, there is also a major focus on swords. Walker Scobell, the star of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, studied sword training techniques and even revealed that he had to learn to play ping pong with a sword. So, while Jessica Parker Kennedy may have it rough in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, she doesn't appear to be alone.

The Unique Challenges of Other Parts of the Series

Aryan Simhadri, who plays Grover in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, will likely have to cope with a mo-cap suit over the entirety of his lower body, as, after all, Grover is secretly a satyr. Whenever Grover isn't disguising his legs, Simhadri will need to portray a realistic satyr, which means an overwhelming amount of equipment, and also a huge drain on the show's budget. Simhadri has even mentioned that a side effect of his Percy Jackson Grover training has been that he has begun unconsciously walking like a goat, and it has gotten him some strained looks in public.

Grover (Aryan Simhadri) stands in a diner in Percy Jackson episode 5

Another major challenge will be the entire trip to the Underworld. With the Underworld serving as an entirely new realm of existence, the Percy Jackson and the Olympians VFX teams will likely have nothing to work with outside a green screen. This can also make things difficult for actors, who will have to strain to make anything believable about the setting. Of course, not every difficult effect will have to do with CGI. With the Percy Jackson universe revolving around classic Greek and Roman deities, there is also a major focus on swords. Walker Scobell, the star of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, studied sword training techniques and even revealed that he had to learn to play ping pong with a sword. It's a major time investment for a 13-year-old to learn how to properly use a sword — especially if it means playing ping pong with one. So, while Jessica Parker Kennedy may have it rough in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, she doesn't appear to be alone.

Percy Jackson with his sword in his hand in Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Conclusion

The challenges of creating the characters and environments in Percy Jackson and the Olympians are vast and varied. From the complex CGI challenges of bringing Medusa to life to the unique difficulties of portraying mythical creatures and creating entirely CGI environments, the series presents a significant undertaking for the cast and crew. Despite the challenges, the dedication to bringing the world of Percy Jackson to life is evident, and it promises to be an exciting and visually stunning adaptation for fans of the beloved novels.

Percy Annabeth and Grover avoiding looking at Medusa in Percy Jackson and the Olympians