'Artemis Fowl' Disney Adaptation Eyes Dame Judi Dench; Kenneth Branagh Directs

By Rachel Cruz, Christian Post Contributor Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Disney's adaptation of the science fiction fantasy book series "Artemis Fowl" eyes Oscar-winning actress Dame Judi Dench as the first star to be cast. Kenneth Branagh will direct the movie and also serve as one of the executive producers.

Dench's role hasn't been determined but she and Branagh worked together on "Murder on the Orient Express," which will be in theaters in November. Dench and Branagh also co-starred in the West End production of "The Winter's Tale" in 2015.

The big screen adaptation of "Artemis Fowl" has been in development since 2001. Irish playwright Conor McPherson is writing the screenplay and the first movie will cover two books in the series: "Artemis Fowl" and "Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident."

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"Artemis Fowl" follows a 12-year-old boy who is already a criminal mastermind. He's in search for his father and encounters misadventures and dangers along the way. His experiences shape who he's supposed to be and grows from a villain to a hero.

A search is on in Ireland and the U.K. for the actor who could play the titular role. Casting has been underway since May.

The novel's author, Eoin Colfer, wanted Saoirse Ronan in the movie back in 2013. Colfer hoped that the actress could play the elf, Capt. Holly Short of the elite LEPrecon, that Artemis kidnaps. Production, however, stalled over the years.

Colfer published eight books of "Artemis Fowl" from 2001 to 2012. Miramax bought the film rights as soon as the first book became best-seller among young readers.

The author downplays any "Artemis Fowl" comparison to Harry Potter because his main character is an anti-hero.

"I went into the same bookstore and bought the first Harry Potter and I read it on the plane," he told Independent in 2011. "I enjoyed it immensely but I was very relieved that they weren't the same."

"If JK [Rowling] was the Beatles, I was the Rolling Stones or something," the author added.