Artemis Fowl Trailer Reveals Disney’s Fantasy Sci-Fi Adaptation

Disney has released the official trailer for Artemis Fowl, which is based on the surprisingly edgy fantasy sci-fi books by Eoin Colfer. In Colfer’s series, your titular Artemis is a boy genius who is also, contra the usual conceit of such books, a villain. What’s more, he’s a fairy-napper (our term) who kidnaps fairies and holds them for ransom. Granted, it turns out that he’s not really a villain, and that his fairy-napping has a stirring, noble cause, but it’s still quite a departure from the usual actions of a protagonist in a series meant to be read by young adults.

Which brings us to the trailer. Director Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation, based on a script from Conor McPherson and Hamish McColl, tweaks this narrative formula. In their telling, Artemis Fowl (Ferdia Shaw) is a very smart, able young man, but he’s no kidnapper. His father, Artemis Fowl I (Colin Farrell) is the one who’s accused of being a master criminal. When his father goes missing, the young Artemis must spring into action, with the help of a pair of fairies and his butler, as he takes on powers from the world of fairies in an effort to save his dad.

Joining Ferdia Shaw and Colin Farrell are Lara McDonnell, Josh Gad, Tamara Smart, Nonso Anozie, Josh McGuire, Nikesh Patel, Adrian Scarborough, and Miranda Raison, and Judi Dench.

Here’s the official synopsis from Disney:

Disney’s “Artemis Fowl,” based on the beloved book by Eoin Colfer, is a fantastical, spellbinding adventure that follows the journey of 12-year-old genius Artemis Fowl, a descendant of a long line of criminal masterminds, as he seeks to find his father who has mysteriously disappeared. With the help of his loyal protector Butler, Artemis sets out to find him, and in doing so uncovers an ancient, underground civilization—the amazingly advanced world of fairies. Deducing that his father’s disappearance is somehow connected to the secretive, reclusive fairy world, cunning Artemis concocts a dangerous plan—so dangerous that he ultimately finds himself in a perilous war of wits with the all-powerful fairies.

Artemis Fowl opens in theaters on May 29, 2020.

Featured image: Ferdia Shaw is Artemis Fowl in Disney’s ARTEMIS FOWL, an adventure directed by Kenneth Branagh that finds 12-year-old genius Artemis Fowl in a battle of strength and cunning against a powerful, hidden race of fairies. Courtesy Walt Disney Studios