Percy Jackson vs. Harry Potter

“I know nothing, to be honest,” Lerman told MTV News. “As for that movie, Marc Webb has got to be one of the most talented directors out there. Whatever he does, whatever Sony does with the film, they’re going to make an awesome movie. But I know nothing about it.”

Was the actor ever actually in discussions? Is he still a contender or has he been knocked out? While Lerman remains tight-lipped about exactly how extensive his conversations with Sony were, it’s clear now from his words that the actor is no longer in consideration for the part.

“Basically I was just a fan,” he said. “Just a guy who was interested in the movie and I was just hoping to be considered for it. As of right now, I don’t know where they’re going with it. Whoever they get and whatever happens with it, I’m sure they’re going to make an awesome movie out of it.”

So with Lerman seemingly not fated to land the Parker role, who in fact will take over for Tobey Maguire? Rumor has it that Sony has narrowed its sights to five actors: Jamie Bell, Alden Ehrenreich, Frank Dillane, Andrew Garfield and Josh Hutcherson. As for Lerman, the kid didn’t even get a chance to try on that iconic Spidey suit.

“No,” he said when asked about the suit. “No.”

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Here’s a video of Logan’s interview with Christian Siriano at MTV Movie Awards.

A new interview for the 2010 MTV Movie Awards surfaced. Screencaps have been added to the gallery.

As awesome as fight scenes often look on film, much less when they’re intense enough to earn a nomination for Best Fight at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, it turns out that they’re not always as exciting on set as they ending up looking on the silver screen. Describing the process of putting together his scuffle with Jake Abel in “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief,” Percy Jackson himself, Logan Lerman explained that shooting the scene was occasionally a little uncomfortable.

“It was awkward,” Lerman admitted in an interview with MTV News.”I felt really stupid doing it. You’ve got to put your mind outside of the room and embarrass yourself a little bit and feel comfortable to be in the moment.”

Notwithstanding his fight in the movie itself, Lerman will soon find himself battling with a capable group of candidates for the Best Fight award, including showdowns between Beyonce and Ali Larter, Hugh Jackman, Live Schreiber and Ryan Reynolds, Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Strong, and Sam Worthington and Stephen Lang. But even as a budding bruiser, the young actor seemed confident about his fight scene’s chances. “You throw ‘em all in the ring, I think ‘Percy Jackson’ is going to win.”

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The video of Movie Awards Insider interview surfaced. Watch it below and the screencaps will be uploaded soon.

I’m sure you guys saw the photos of my Logan Lerman interview from yesterday. And, you know that during my interview with the Movie Award nominee I asked him questions from my Twitter followers. We got to the bottom of several issues, including the most pressing question Logan Lerman fans have: is he on Twitter? There are so many Twitter accounts that could be him!

So, it looks like all those Logan Lerman Twitter handles are fake, guys. Sorry!

Movie Awards Insider interviewer Lauren Davis did an interview with Logan for the 2010 MTV Movie Awards. Photos from the interview have been added to the gallery.

Then traveled to the Arc Light Theater in Hollywood where I conducted my first interview, which was with Logan Lerman, the star of “Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.”

Logan was so incredibly nice and down to earth, and all of my nerves seemed to just go away. I actually found out that we are both the same age and both graduating from high school, so it was kind of like I was talking to one of my friends! I also asked him some questions my followers asked on Twitter. We found out the answer to one of the most debatable questions: if Logan Lerman actually has a Twitter account! Stay tuned for the answer!

Movie Collection interviewed Logan and director of Percy Jackson, Chris Columbus. Here’s the link to the video.

Life’s about to get pretty interesting for 18-year-old Logan Lerman. If reports are to be believed, he may be the next Spider-Man. Add to that, the successful opening of his film Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief, which is touted to be the next Harry Potter.

In the film, directed by Chris Columbus (director of Home Alone and the first two Harry Potter films) and presented by Fox Star Sudios, Logan had the herculean task of carrying the lead role. The movie, also starring Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman, Catherine Keener and Steve Coogan, is an epic adventure of teen demigods which sees Percy’s character packed with enough visual firepower and youthful zeal necessary to launch a hit franchise. Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief entered theatres last week in the US to a rousing success, with nearly $40 million weekend collections at the box office. It is releasing in India today.

Here’s the teen heartthrob’s take on working on the magnum opus and his passion for acting.

How did you land this part?
Chris was my hero growing up, I was obsessed with him. When I was approached for the film and heard that he was directing it, I said, ‘Man I have to be a part of it.’ I didn’t know anything about the books or the story line, but I immediately read the first Percy Jackson book.

What’s the story about?
The movie starts off with a big dilemma; Zeus has lost his powerful lightening bolt and they are all pointing fingers at Percy Jackson. Percy himself has no idea who he is and knows nothing about his background. He’s thrown into a dangerous situation and has to save the world and his mom.

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Did it feel like a big responsibility playing Percy?
I didn’t realise what I had got myself into until we started filming. It is a big responsibility, I just had to do my part to make it good.

Will teenagers identify with Percy?
Kids will know what he’s going through. The story proves that when someone is thrown into a difficult situation, they can rise to the challenge.

Can you relate to Percy?
In some ways, yes. But when playing a character, you don’t need to relate to every part. You just need to find a way to understand him and get into that emotion.

What kind of a teenager are you?
I’m a boring person. My best friend, actor Dean Collins and I are both film geeks. We do nothing but study film all day long. That’s me.

What about acting do you love?
It is a great way to express yourself. But I am also interested in everything behind the scenes.

What other actors inspire you?
I love Jim Carrey, Dustin Hoffman and filmmakers like Spike Jonze, Sam Mendes and David Fincher. Those are the guys who really make me want to be a part of this business.

Are you prepared for the changes once this movie comes out?
It’s interesting; people are going to be screaming ‘Percy Jackson’ all the time and I’m going to be known as Grover everywhere. But I can’t imagine people knowing who I am from any movie. If that happens, I will be very surprised.

Source : The Times of India

For an eighteen year-old actor, Logan Lerman already has quite an impressive body of work. From the critically acclaimed television series Jack & Bobby to indie films like My One and Only and action movies like 3:10 to Yuma, Lerman’s been hitting Hollywood on all fronts. You can now add “epic” to his list of credits. In his newest film, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightening Thief, Lerman plays the title character who is the prime suspect in the disappearance of Zeus’ lightning bolt. Percy embarks on a journey to save his mom and catch the real thief. The movie, directed by Harry Potter helmer Chris Columbus, has an all-star cast that includes Uma Thurman, Pierce Brosnan and Catherine Keener who plays Percy’s mother. Even though the movie is based on the best-selling teen book series of the same name, Lerman assures us that this is a film for all ages. “This movie relates to people in general,” he says. “It’s about the life struggle of taking your weaknesses and trying to make them into your strengths.”

How did you first get the acting bug?
I’m from Los Angeles and it was accessible. There’s always a place to wait in line for an audition and I kind of begged my parents to take me. My mom nurtured my career and helped me climb the ladder. I have had a passion for movies from a young age. I first got interested in acting when I was probably four or five.

What movies inspired you growing up?
Movies like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. I remember the first time I saw these movies in the theater and it really got me into filmmaking.

This film is based on a popular book series. Did you read the Percy Jackson books prior to getting the role or once you were cast?
I read the book right after I read the script. The first thing that really attracted me to being a part of this film was seeing Chris Columbus’ name right on the title page of the script. I read the script and loved it. Then, I read the book. It was a really backward process.

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You play Poseidon’s son. Does Percy feel any pressure living up to his father’s legend?
I don’t think that’s even issue for him. For him, his motive the whole time is to get his mom back. Save the world above anything, but get his mom back. I don’t think Percy felt any pressure.

When you are acting in an epic film like this one, or an indie film, do you approach the roles the same way?
It’s all about understanding the tone of the film and feeling comfortable enough to experiment on-set and understand your character enough to do so. I approach it the same way every time, but all movies are different. Being a fan of film, you kind-of have an understanding of what this movie is going to be – or whatever movie you’re working is going to be.

What did you learn from Chris Columbus during the making of this movie?
I took this chance to really see how these types of films are made, to understand how these big budget fantasy flicks come about. Months before filming, I stayed in the production office during pre-production and studied everyone and the whole process. I also take every movie as a learning experience. I can’t pinpoint specific things, but I learned the process and how great directors like Chris Columbus do their job.

Many people are saying this is going to be the next Harry Potter franchise. How did you deal with the hype and expectations walking into this?
I think a lot of people are saying that mainly because Chris Columbus’ name is attached to both films and we are selling it as: “from the director of Harry Potter.” However, they’re different movies. Do we want it to be as successful and as loved the Harry Potter films? Of course, but they’re pretty different stories. This movie is transferring Greek mythology into the modern day. It’s paralleling classic myths and introducing a new demi-god into the modern day world.

What did you find the most difficult part of making this film?
The stunts. It was the first time I was involved in a stunt-intensive filming process, so it absorbs a lot of your time. All of your spare time goes into perfecting your stunt work.

What was it like working alongside Pierce Brosnan?
Awesome. Pierce is a true gentleman and a really great actor to work with. He’s quiet and perfect. Outside of work, I got to know him personally. He’s such a great guy.

Do you think New York City played an important role in some of the scenes in this movie?
The film is about finding adventure in your life. I think New York City is the perfect location for many of the sequences and scenes.

I heard that you applied to NYU.
Yes. I did.

Do you know what you’ll study?
Creative writing. My real passion is filmmaking. I want to be a filmmaker one day and be involved in writing and directing.

What directors inspire you?
Oh, I can go through a whole bunch of them. Just to name a few: David Fincher, Stanley Kubrick, Wes Anderson, Spike Jones and Peter Bogdanovich. I can keep going, but you don’t want to hear the whole list.

Since you’re in an empire state of mind, any restaurants you frequent in Manhattan?
I haven’t gone out much. I was lucky enough to try Nobu. It was one of the most delicious meals ever! My favorite food has to be sushi.

What advice do you have for young actors starting out?
Have perseverance and stick with it. Please don’t be in this business if you’re looking for social gain and popularity. Make sure you have a true passion for movies and enjoy what you do.

What keeps you grounded as a young actor in Hollywood?
I keep the same perspective that I’ve always had. That perspective comes from understanding other people’s perspectives around the world that I have seen so far. Keeping true values like family and friends is also important. Also, I keep in mind that my real passion is movie making – the magic that happens when you go into a theater and everything that goes with it. You can get lost in the whole social aspect of being in this business, but I have no interest in it. It’s purely movies to me.

What do you want people to walk away with after watching this film?
I want people to be entertained – to lose themselves for two hours and have a good time. If they want to peel away the layers at the end of the film, they will have a lot to talk about. There’s a lot to discover.

Source : BlackBook