Three years after the release of Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, the titular demigod played by Logan Lerman is heading back to cinemas this summer, and he's bringing along a lot of friends - some old and some new.
With 2013 already starting to fly by - can you believe that it's almost April already? - USA Today has premiered five brand spanking new first look photos at the anticipated August release, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, directed by Thor Freudenthal. The first photo, seen above, shows Percy reuniting with Annabeth (played by the returning Alexandra Daddario), the daughter of Athena, but that's only the tip of the iceberg.
Providing some comic relief in the sequel, Stanley Tucci will be playing the role of Dionysus in the new movie, who Greek myth enthusiasts will remember as the god of wine, ritual madness, and basically everything good-time related. Check him out below sporting a wicked goatee, some crazy hair, and a loud leopard print shirt.
Next up we have more of an ensemble shot. In addition to Percy and Annabeth, this shot features from left to right Tyson the Cyclops (franchise newcomer Douglas Smith); daughter of Ares, Clarisse La Rue, (the also new Leven Rambin); and Grover the satyr (once again portrayed by Brandon T. Jackson).
This next still is a bit more straightforward, seeing Percy running towards something out of frame...
And lastly we have the three returning stars hanging out behind a log.
While these photos do show off a good number of the new castmembers, there are still plenty that need to be revealed, including Nathan Fillion as Hermes (he's stepping in for Dylan Neal); Missi Pyle, Yvette Nicole Brown and Mary Birdsong as The Fates; Anthony Head as Chiron (replacing Pierce Brosnan); and Daniel Cudmore as Manticore. Seeing as the film won't actually be out until August, however, there's still plenty of time.
