David Farnor | On 04, Apr 2020

Artemis Fowl arrives on Disney+ this June, and a new trailer gives us a closer look at the fantasy blockbuster.

Based on the first novel in Eoin Colfer’s series of books, it introduces us to Artemis, a 12-year-old genius and the latest in a long line of family criminal masterminds. He soon finds himself in an epic battle against a race of powerful underground fairies who may be behind his father’s disappearance.

Adapted by Conor McPherson, Michael Goldenberg and Hamish McColl, it stars Ferdia Shaw, Nonso Anozie, Judi Dench, Lara McDonnell and Josh Gad. At the helm? Kenneth Branagh, who was all set to steer the film into cinemas until the coronavirus closures left the movie without a theatrical home and Disney with a large gap in its originals line-up for streaming service Disney+. And so, in a twist of fate, the film now premieres on Disney+ on 12th June. Here’s the new trailer:

 

Artemis Fowl heads straight to Disney+

4th April 2020

Artemis Fowl is heading straight to Disney+, as the House of Mouse joins a growing number of Hollywood players introducing drastic measures in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

With cinemas closed due to safety concerns about the outbreak, James Bond movie No Time to Die led the way in delaying planned theatrical rollouts, while Universal’s The Invisible Man, Emma and The Hunt sparked a wave of movies breaking the theatrical window to release early on digital. On Monday 10th April, Universal will also release Trolls World Tour online worldwide.

Now, Disney is delaying two of its big hitters for the year, with Mulan and Black Widow now planned to be released on 24th July and 6th November (instead of March and May). Jungle Cruise will also be pushed back to 30th July 2021. Black Widow’s delay means that Eternals’ planned November slot has been moved back to 12th February 2021 (in turn pushing Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Rings to 7th May 2021, and, in turn again, Doctor Strange 2 to 5th November 2021 and, finally, Thor: Love and Thunder to 18th February 2022, now the same year as Black Panther 2 and Captain Marvel 2).

More immediately interesting, though, is the plan to shift Artemis Fowl from a cinema rollout to a Disney+ debut – a move that will help to fill the gap in new Disney+ original content, after Marvel’s TV series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has been delayed from its August release.

There’s no official confirmation yet on a release date for Artemis Fowl, but the adaptation of the Eoin Colfer novel is a high-profile family affair, with Kenneth Branagh at the helm and the potential for a major franchise (the original series has run for eight books). The film follows Artemis, a 12-year-old genius and descendant of a long line of criminal masterminds. He soon finds himself in an epic battle against a race of powerful underground fairies who may be behind his father’s disappearance. Adapted by Conor McPherson, Michael Goldenberg and Hamish McColl, it stars Ferdia Shaw, Nonso Anozie, Judi Dench, Lara McDonnell and Josh Gad.

“Director Kenneth Branagh and his spectacular cast take viewers right into the vibrant, fantasy world of the beloved book, which fans have been waiting to see brought to life onscreen for years,” Disney+ President of Content and Marketing Ricky Strauss said in a statement. “It’s great family entertainment that is the perfect addition to Disney+’s summer lineup.”

Pushed back from a release date of August 2019, the film was originally set to debut on 29th May in cinemas. Expect a similar slot for Disney+ and watch this space for more. Until then, here’s the trailer released earlier in the year:

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