Disney’s live-action Artemis Fowl movie will be skipping its theatrical run and debuting exclusively on Disney+. The movie, adapted from Eoin Colfer’s best-selling book series, was originally scheduled to hit theaters on May 29, 2020 after being delayed from its original August 2019 release date. That original change coupled with its lack of marketing since had many speculating that this move was already in the works and the suspicion was only heightened by the backlash the movie was already receiving from fans.
That backlash was brought on by the release of the movie’s most recent trailer which revealed some major changes to the source material. In the books, Artemis is a full-blown amoral criminal mastermind who spends the first novel in direct confrontation with the secret subterranean fairy community who he hopes to exploit for his own selfish reasons. The movie, on the other hand, recasts the whole Fowl family as heroes defending the world from evil fairies and immediately gives Artemis allies like Holly Short, a character that he originally took several books to become friends with.
In an official press release from Disney, the company stated how excited they are to be releasing Artemis Fowl this way, with Disney+ President of Content and Marketing Richy Strauss saying:
With audiences largely unable to attend theatres in the current environment, we are thrilled to offer the premiere of ‘Artemis Fowl’ on Disney+. Director Kenneth Branagh and his spectacular cast take viewers right into the vibrant, fantasy world of the beloved book, which fans have been waiting to see brought to life onscreen for years. It’s great family entertainment that is the perfect addition to Disney+’s summer lineup.
The release also came with an official synopsis that reads:
In this fantastical, spellbinding adventure, 12-year-old genius Artemis Fowl, a descendant of a long line of criminal masterminds, embarks on a journey 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.
This change is likely in the film’s best interests, with so many longtime fans upset at the direction the movie took and unlikely to spend money on a theater ticket. Changes to the source material aren’t inherently bad (just look at how good the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy was despite having little in common with the books), but it’s understandable that fans would be so disappointed at the removal of so many elements that made the books so fun in the first place. The antagonistic dynamic between Artemis and Holly is the core of the first novel and Artemis’ status as a true child-supervillain is what made the books so unique. But now that fans can give the movie a chance without having to spend any extra money or even leave their homes, maybe Artemis Fowl will find the audience it wouldn’t have had a chance to at the box office.
