From James Bond, The Bride and Sharpey Sharpey Sharpey to Greek Gods – Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman and Sean Bean have signed on to star in Chris Columbus’ new adventure comedy, Percy Jackson, about the adventures of Poseidon’s 12 year-old half-human son.
Logan Lerman, who you might remember as Christian Bale’s son in 3:10 To Yuma, has already signed on to play the title character, who sets off across America in an attempt to save his mum, and to stop a war between the Gods.
Some of those Gods will be played by the aforementioned trio of stars, with Thurman signing on to play the traditionally snake-haired ugly bugly, Medusa, Brosnan the centaur god, Chiron, while Bean will play head cheese Zeus, whose lightning bolt is stolen at story's inception.
Brandon T. Jackson, the ever-awesome Kevin McKidd and CSI: NY star, Melina Kanakerides have also joined the cast of the movie, which is based on Rick Riordan’s series of children’s novels, Percy Jackson & The Olympians. This movie is an adaptation of the first book, The Lightning Thief (the suffix has been dropped for the big screen), with Columbus, the man who launched the Harry Potter franchise, hoping to succeed again in the same genre.
Filming begins next month in Vancouver, with a 2010 release date looming. Columbus and Fox 2000 are still trying to cast three more Godlike roles in Aries, Hades and Persephone before that date arrives.
Meanwhile, the casting of solid pros and gifted light comedians Thurman and Brosnan has considerably raised our interest levels in this project - but we’re particularly keen to see old Bond foes Brosnan and Bean, last seen beating seven bells out of each other in GoldenEye (altogether now: “Finish the job, James! For England!”), back on duty together.