INTERVIEW - Director and cast of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

LS speak to Christopher Columbus about the unlikely alliance of ancient Greece and 21st century America

By Laura White

Christopher Columbus is known for making some of the best loved children’s films of recent times, including Home Alone and the first two Harry Potter films. Yet for Columbus it’s important that he distinguishes Percy Jackson from his previous work. “I’m very happy with the film, and very happy to say it’s nothing like Harry Potter. I just wanted to get that off my chest.”

The director is no stranger to the world of fantasy, but Riordan’s books offered Columbus something different. “I was just intrigued by the concept which I had never seen before – that is the concept of Greek mythology co-existing in modern American society. I just thought it was a great idea.”
                  
Columbus wasn’t fazed by adapting another book, despite Percy Jackson rivalling Harry Potter in terms of popularity in America. However, in the film Columbus chose to increase the ages of Percy and his friends. “For me it was important that the characters felt a little older than they did in the book. I fel

t that this needed to be a little more edgy, a little grittier – as much as we could do in a PG film anyway.” For many of the cast however, it wasn’t the books but the opportunity of working with Columbus which attracted them to the film. Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson) admits “I knew nothing about the books when I first got the script, but right below the title it said Chris’ name and that’s what really attracted me to it. His films have shaped my childhood.”

Percy Jackson is littered with big names – Uma Thurman and Pierce Brosnan occupy small roles. Steve Coogan jokes that for him making the film was “a doddle. I just turned up, got to spend a week in Vancouver, got to kiss Rosario Dawson and when you’ve got these visual effects, half the job’s done for you.” For Brosnan, this relatively minor role achieved high praise from his children. “Show and tell was last week, and as we left the studio my eight year old son said ‘Dad, that’s the best movie you’ve ever made.’”

The film is visually magnificent and this is down to some truly spectacular special effects. Indeed Columbus is confident that in this picture they are some of the best yet. “The first Harry Potter films were actually a graduate course in visual effects for myself,” he recalls. “I realised there was a certain method in just being obsessive with the visual effects to make sure they worked seamlessly with what the actors were doing. And I think we succeeded.”

With four more books, expect to see a lot more from Percy Jackson and friends. “I’d love to make another film almost immediately with these guys.” And despite rumours that he’s set to become the next Spiderman, Lerman agrees. “I’m invested in the whole series and I’m crazy about the story and the character, so I’d love to do all the films.”