Kenneth Branagh to Direct Disney’s Artemis Fowl Movie

Remember the Artemis Fowl books? I mean, it wasn’t that long ago that the eighth book in the series came out, after all. Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian was published in 2012. Tweenaged criminal mastermind protagonist, boilerplate urban legend and classic fantasy iconography?

Anyway, even though it was a little late to colonize millennial readers’ minds about contemporary fantasy on the phenomenal level that Harry Potter did, many agree that the Artemis Fowl series is well written and pretty imaginative in its own right. The series, written by Irish author Eoin Colfer, may be close to getting some of the big screen recognition fans have been holding out for since the first book release in 2001.

Variety reports that Kenneth Branagh has signed on to direct the film based on the first Artemis Fowl book for Disney. Conor McPherson is also reportedly closing the deal to pen the script. Branagh has made a big name for himself as a cinematic Shakespearean actor and director and also directed the first Thor movie for Disney.

Do you think Branagh has what it takes to bring Artemis Fowl to life on the big screen? Do you think an Artemis Fowl movie would be a welcome addition to the admittedly saturated YA fantasy genre? Let us know in the comments.