Hollywood giants Disney and producer Harvey Weinstein (Shakespeare in Love, The King's Speech, The Artist, Silver Linings Playbook) have announced that the bestseller novel series Artemis Fowl are to be adapted for film.
The Irish author Eoin Colfer will have the first two of his young-adult novels adapted for the screen, with work already in production according to the studio company. The list of eye-grabbing names does not stop there, with Robert De Niro and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix screenwriter Michael Goldenberg also joining the crew as an executive producer and screenwriter respectively. Jane Rosenthal (Meet the Parents, Analyze This) will also join the team as an executive producer.
Keeping in tow with the narative of the books, the titular character is a twelve-year old millionaire genius and master criminal. After intervening in the nefarious business of the fairies, who unlike their generally accepted good image, are evil in Artemis Fowl, he is forced into a battle against the mythic characters in order to save his family. The film will be aimed at people of all ages.
The controversial producer Weinstein admitted ' If you would have told me five years ago I would be producing a project with Disney I would have thought you were crazy', but added 'within hours I told them I wanted the rights to the film. This is a special project for me because my children absolutely love this book. This story is for everyone and there is no-one better than Disney to make a film that will excite people young and old'. Atta boy Weinstein, maybe Disney will calm you down and you will no longer feel the need to warrant excessive and unequal Oscar campaigns...Or maybe not.