Published back in 2001 at the start of the YA craze caused by the first Harry Potter film, Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl is one of those franchises that has blockbuster written all over it. Harvey Weinstein took a special liking to it, snatching up the rights for Miramax immediately and sticking with it through years of headaches. Disney ultimately ended up with the film rights, and a couple of years ago they decided to team up with Weinstein to finally bring the book to the screen. Now we're seeing the first real steps towards making that happen as Kenneth Branagh, who is coming off the $500M+ success of Disney's Cinderella, is on board to direct.
Artemis Fowl is unlike anything else in the genre, as it follows a billionaire boy genius who happens to be a criminal mastermind. He exists in a world of amazing technology and supernatural creatures, which makes his stories a cross between James Bond and Harry Potter. In the first book he uses his gifts to kidnap a fairy for a large ransom of gold, although there's much more to his plan than mere wealth. Seven more books would follow, so if the film is the hit many expect you can bet Disney will adapt the entire series.
Lawrence Guterman was the first director attached but the project sat in development Hell for a decade. During that time Miramax was acquired by Disney, Jim Sheridan came aboard to direct, and Weinstein left Miramax to start The Weinstein Company. He never gave up on Artemis Fowl, though, and in 2013 he and Disney struck a deal to collaborate on the adaptation with Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal as producers.. With Branagh in place new writer will be brought in to give the screenplay a shot and finally got this anticipated film off the ground. [The Tracking Board]
