If you happened to set foot in the YA lit section of a Borders Books (RIP) during the late ‘90s, then you undoubtedly came across one of those fantastic cardboard endcaps putting Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl books and their loud covers on glorious display. “Read these books,” the displays shouted. “They’re gonna become movies someday.” That day is finally here.
The promise of an Artemis Fowl movie has been the stuff of YA legend mainly because the project’s been stuck in development hell almost as long as buzz about the project first started making the rounds years ago. For a time, it seemed as if the film might never come to fruition even after a cast was announced and Kenneth Branagh was attached to direct. But against all hope, Artemis Fowl is, in fact, coming to theaters and Disney announced the latest development by dropping an unexpected trailer in the middle of the night (for the U.S. at least).
It’s only a teaser trailer and doesn’t delve all that much into the specific story of how preteen, criminal billionaire Artemis (Ferdia Shaw) and his bodyguard Domovoi Butler (Nonso Anozie) set out to rob the hidden society of fairies who live in under the crust of the world. But at least a few of the teaser’s shots will remind anyone who read at least the first Artemis Fowl book of how weirdly epic the story was.
With Dame Judi Dench signed on to portray Commander Root, Josh Gad as Mulch Diggums, and Lara McDonnell as Captain Holly Short, the film’s cast is reason enough to keep an eye on Artemis Fowl ahead of its August 9, 2019 release date. One has to wonder, though, whether this is a franchise that anybody—especially younger audiences—are still hyped for.
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