'Artemis Fowl': Everything We Know About Disney Plus' Long-Awaited Adaptation

ET was on the set as the beloved book series was finally brought to life.

Artemis Fowl is making the leap off the bookshelf and onto the big screen.

Well, the size of the screen will vary based on what you have in your home, since the Kenneth Branagh-directed fantasy film (based on Eoin Colfer's beloved book series) is debuting on Disney+ due to the ongoing global pandemic. "In challenging times, a 12-year-old criminal mastermind is one heck of a traveling companion," Branagh announced.

"He'll take you to new worlds, meet unforgettable characters and mix magic with mayhem," he said. "His own family is everything to him, and (although he’d never admit it), he'd be as proud as I am that families around the world will now be able to enjoy his first amazing screen adventures together, on Disney+."

For those new to Artemis Fowl, it's the tale of Artemis Fowl II (newcomer Ferdia Shaw), a 12-year-old criminal mastermind who holds fairy LEPRecon officer Holly Short (Lara McDonnell) for ransom to fund the search for his missing father. It's a world filled with fairies, gnomes and elves, with a cast that includes Dame Judi Dench as an elf commander, Josh Gad as a kleptomaniac dwarf and Colin Farrell as Artemis' dad.

ET visited the film's U.K. set in April 2018, where the film's director, stars and behind-the-scenes team revealed how they brought the books to life. Here is everything we learned about Artemis Fowl.

Disney+

Kenneth Branagh on Bringing the Fairies and Fantasy of 'Artemis Fowl' to Life

"Everybody knew that -- although there's something brilliant at the center of it that Eoin’s done -- translating it to film was challenging," Branagh explained. "It's taken quite some time to find the balance between humor and emotion and magic and the contemporary world."

Read it here.

Disney+

Josh Gad on Playing a Kleptomaniac Dwarf and Keeping Judi Dench 'On Her Toes'

"We did a scene together, and you could just tell by her expression that she's like, Why did I do this movie? Why did I ask them to kill off my character in Bond? Daniel Craig is so much more professional than Josh Gad," Gad joked of improv-ing with his co-star.

Read it here.

Disney+

'Artemis Fowl': 17 Things We Learned on Set of Disney Plus' New Fantasy Film

During our visit to Longcross Film Studios, ET sat down with a number of the talented individuals working behind the scenes to get the full story on the casting, costumes and all of the hidden Easter eggs.

Read it here.


Artemis Fowl is now streaming on Disney+.

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