Disney and The Weinstein Company Team Up For Artemis Fowl

[Hyde]

Disney, Harvey Weinstein Teaming Up for 'Artemis Fowl'

Disney and Weinstein are developing an adaptation of Artemis Fowl for the big screen. The live-action feature will be based on the first and second installments in Disney Publishing Worldwide’s best-selling children’s series, written by Eoin Colfer.

"If you would have told me five years ago I would be producing a project with Disney I would have thought you were crazy,” said Weinstein in a statement.

“I feel as though everything is coming full circle considering Bob DeNiro and Jane Rosenthal brought me this book while I was still at Miramax and within hours I told them I wanted the rights to the film."

Fowl’s film rights were initially purchased by Miramax in 2001. The company was then run by Weinstein and the development process saw several drafts from a succession of writers.

When Weinstein and his brother Bob Weinstein left the company in 2005 and formed The Weinstein Co., the project then fell under the Disney banner and sat dormant.

Fowl is now back with a screenplay from by Michael Goldenberg (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix). Robert DeNiro and Jane Rosenthal are executive producing the project.

Source: THR

Interesting. Any of you guys read them growing up? I could never get into them.

 

[DarkSovereignty]

I really dug them, though I still haven't read the last one, I've been meaning to pick it up. A movie would be difficult though, some things might not translate well.

 

[Octoberist]

I've always dismissed it as a Harry Potyer knockoff. but that's my ignorance speaking.

 

[redhawk23]

I read the first 4 books. I used to be really into the series. Artemis is a fairly interesting character.

This fairy world that the books set up is somewhat similar to the situation found in movies like Hellboy 2, so it can definitely build upon that kind of thing.

Sidenote: There was a coded alphabet hidden in the page decorations of the first book. I spent a while cracking the code with the use of a translated message included in the book. My friends and I used to write all of our notes in the alphabet (we were just hardcore like that). Years later they came out with "The Artemis Fowl Files" a kind of supplementary activity book that just outright included the a code key for the alphabet. I remember being very ticked off at the time.

 

[redhawk23]

I've always dismissed it as a Harry Potyer knockoff. but that's my ignorance speaking.

No doubt Harry Potter definitely helped get the series published but I'd say the books managed to establish themsleves outside of all that. For a kid's series the books always seemed to have a bit of an edge that the early Potter books lacked. A lot of the books are essentially heist stories, like some kind of magical version of Die Hard. Also though, especially early on, the main character is pretty much the villain. He is a criminal mastermind and the first book is about him extorting a captured fairy swat team member for gold.

The books themselves probably don't hold much cross over appeal for older readers, I don't know, I've never revisited them, but they were good at the time. I may just be speaking personally, I have no idea how popular these books still are, but this movie seems like its about 8 years too late.

 

[ThePowerCosmic]

I read some of the first book when I was younger. Artemis seemed pretty cool from the little that I can remember.

 

[Octoberist]

So is craming two books for the first film an awful idea? Or does it make sense?

 

[redhawk23]

I can't really remember the plot of the second one. I think it had to do with the fairey folk reluctantly going to Fowl for help in some situation. This is again after he completely screws them over in the first book. Something could probably be worked out I guess.

You could essentially just take the loose premise and create whatever story you want: Young criminal mastermind extorts, works with or doublcrosses fairey folk.

 

[Airwings]

Why can't we stick to the first AF thread, the one I started? Isn't it interesting enough for you?

 

[Lord]

Are these books any good?

 

[DarkSovereignty]

Why can't we stick to the first AF thread, the one I started? Isn't it interesting enough for you?

Nope.

 

[Octoberist]

If they're able to combine both books and make it a seamless experience, then I'm down.

 

[DarkSovereignty]

I'm going to continue posting in this thread out of spite. I suppose given the simplistic premise to the first book, basically just being a castle siege type film, they could condense tht into the first 20 minutes or so, but it'll probably be really rushed. I'd rather they just adapt the first book.

 

[Octoberist]

I'm going to continue posting in this thread out of spite. I suppose given the simplistic premise to the first book, basically just being a castle siege type film, they could condense tht into the first 20 minutes or so, but it'll probably be really rushed. I'd rather they just adapt the first book.

Me too.

I remember once I teased Terry because we both created threads on the same topic once. But it was just a tease. I don't really care because it's trivial.

 

[ThePowerCosmic]

lol Airwings is forcing it.

 

[DarkSovereignty]

Seriously lol. The same thing happened to me...twice. I made threads for joss whedon a much ado about nothing and the secret life of Walter Mitty back when Patton Oswalt was attached to it, yet others made threads for them when more information came out. Maybe it's because I was too lazy to revive threads that I made over a year ago but I just didnt care lol.

 

[ThePowerCosmic]

Yeah, nothing to take seriously and it's happened to me as well. Forgot what the movie thread was, though.

On a separate note, I wonder how the fairies will look in this. Are we talking old-fashioned tra-la-la Tinkerbell types here or something a little... cooler?

 

[redhawk23]

Considering that they are essentially swat team agents, it definitely lends itself to something cooler. If I remember correctly they fly not by actual wings but more akin to the jetpack cops from Minority Report.

 

[DarkSovereignty]

Yeah, nothing to take seriously and it's happened to me as well. Forgot what the movie thread was, though.

On a separate note, I wonder how the fairies will look in this. Are we talking old-fashioned tra-la-la Tinkerbell types here or something a little... cooler?

In the book they're pretty much elves. They're about 4 feet tall and have pointed ears. Their wings are actually mechanical, the fairies in this world are technologically more advanced than humans hence mechanical wings. Sprites have wings though,if I remember correctly. There's several species in the books.

 

[ThePowerCosmic]

Considering that they are essentially swat team agents, it definitely lends itself to something cooler. If I remember correctly they fly not by actual wings but more akin to the jetpack cops from Minority Report.

In the book they're pretty much elves. They're about 4 feet tall and have pointed ears. Their wings are actually mechanical, the fairies in this world are technologically more advanced than humans hence mechanical wings. Sprites have wings though,if I remember correctly. There's several species in the books.

Now that sounds wicked. It's been years since I read some of the first so I've forgotten most of it completely.

Doesn't Artemis also have some kind of bodyguard or assistant that accompanies him?

 

[DarkSovereignty]

Yes, I think his name is domavoi butler.

 

[ThePowerCosmic]

Oh okay, cool. I wonder if this will give out an Ocean's 11 vibe because of the heisting going on.

 

[DarkSovereignty]

That would be an awesome aesthetic to duplicate for the movies, especially since there are multiple points in the book where successive chapters are occurring at the same time, just following different characters. They could use the split screen montage techniques used in the ocean movies.

 

[ThePowerCosmic]

That's a cool idea, DS.

 

[DarkSovereignty]

Thanks, I just think this movie definitely needs a lot of energy to it so as to differentiate it from other YA novel adaptations, otherwise it's just going to come off like another Harry potter clone like Percy Jackson.