The movie adaptation of Eoin Colfer’s beloved book series just got more exciting with a legendary actress reportedly cast in it.

Actor and director Kenneth Branagh has been attached to direct Artemis Fowl for a couple years now, which Disney recently gave the release date of August 9th 2019.

The children’s books by Irish author Colfer follow a brilliant and cunning 12-year-old eponymous criminal mastermind named Artemis Fowl II. He uses his genius and guile to search for his father and also plots to extort gold from the fairy folk through a kidnapping scheme.

Irish playwright Conor McPherson is on board to pen the script and in the latest news, Judi Dench – who can currently be seen in Victoria and Abdul – is in early talks to star in the film.

Dench and Branagh most recently worked together on Murder on the Orient Express, which Branagh also directed and starred in opposite Dench, and they also starred together in The Winter’s Tale on the West End in 2015.