Deadline reports that Hamilton star Lin-Manuel Miranda has joined the cast of Disney+'s Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The Grammy, Emmy, Tony, and Pulitzer Prize-winning songwriter, actor, director, and producer (that's a mouthful) will play Hermes in what sounds like a key guest-starring role in the TV series.
The project is being led by Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson, Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth Chase, and Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood.
Miranda, who is said to be a fan of Rick Riordan's books along with his son, joins a cast that also includes Jason Mantzoukas, Megan Mullally, Virginia Kull, Glynn Turman, Timm Sharp, Olivea Morton, Dior Goodjohn, and Charlie Bushnell.
As for Hermes, he's a messenger god who looks out for travellers and thieves and is a bit of a trickster himself. He is charismatic and boisterous, and the life of the party.
Unfortunately, his charm does not do much to heal his strained relationship with his son, Luke (Bushnell). It's said that he’s hesitant to help Percy and his friends on their quest as sometimes getting involved is more trouble than it’s worth.
Based on Disney Hyperion's best-selling book series, the series tells the fantastical story of a 12-year-old modern demigod, Percy Jackson, who's just coming to terms with his newfound divine powers when the sky god Zeus accuses him of stealing his master lightning bolt.
With help from his friends Grover and Annabeth, Percy must embark on an adventure of a lifetime to find it and restore order to Olympus.
Miranda's credits include Mary Poppins Returns, His Dark Materials, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. He's also the critically acclaimed genius behind musicals like Hamilton and In The Heights. As you may recall, Hermes was previously portrayed on screen by Nathan Fillion in the Percy Jackson movies.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is expected to premiere on Disney+ sometime in 2024.