After scoring some stars with devoted cult followings, the producers of Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Sea Of Monsters chose to take a risk by casting newcomer Paloma Kwiatkowski in the supporting role of Thalia. Beyond being a major opportunity for the Vancouver high schooler, the sequel to Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief will also mark Kwiatkowski's feature film debut. Deadline reports the cheerful ingénue won the coveted role after completing her first ever audition, making her the envy of aspiring actresses worldwide.
The deal she has inked with Fox has her committed not only to Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Sea Of Monsters but also allows the studio the option to include her in two successive sequels. Should Sea of Monsters prove as successful as its predecessor, Kwiatkowski's role in the future films will grow considerably.
In the Rick Riordon book series on which the growing franchise is based, Thalia is a demi-god and daughter of Zues, the ultimate deadbeat dad. Her human mother is a vain actress who is driven mad by the fickle affections of the gods, so Thalia fled from her. From there, the resilient girl teamed up with another demi-god Luke Castellan, son of Hermes, to make her way in the world. However, after a monster-laden misadventure, her father—in a protective but bizarre move--turned the girl into a pine tree that overlooks the border of Camp Half-Blood.
In Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Sea Of Monsters, Percy and his pals go in search of the legendary Golden Fleece, which will ultimately release Thalia from her father's curse. Once free, Thalia becomes a more active participant in the journeys of Percy Jackson, as well as a lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis.
However, all that is far in the future. For now, Kwiatkowski's reps insist she's only focused on finishing school and leading her school's improv team to victory next month in the National Championships in Ottawa. Then she'll tackle Percy Jackson.
