The Artemis Fowl book series launched in 2001, but it’s about to finally find its way to the big screen. Kenneth Branagh is set to helm the adaptation of Eoin Colfer sci-fi fantasy series, which follows the eponymous twelve-year-old criminal mastermind, who kidnaps a fairy to help restore his family’s fortune.

Disney has announced the lead cast for the film, and revealed that Irish newcomer Ferdia Shaw has landed the lead role the film after a search that looked at over 1200 canddiates for the part. Branagh plans to surround Shaw with seasoned actors. He’ll reteam with his Murder on the Orient Express stars Josh Gad and Judi Dench to play “Mulch Diggums, a kleptomaniacal dwarf who works for the fairies,” and “Commander Root, the steely leader of the fairy police force,” respectively. The film has also signed Lara McDonnell (The Deliquent Season) to play elf hero Captain Holly Short and Nonso Anozie (Cinderella) to play Butler, Artemis Fowl’s formidable bodyguard.

Filming on Artemis Fowl is set to begin early next year in the U.K. The movie will be released on August 9, 2019.

Here’s the synopsis for Eion Colfer’s Artemis Fowl:

Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is the most ingenious criminal mastermind in history. With two trusty sidekicks in tow, he hatches a cunning plot to divest the fairyfolk of their pot of gold. Of course, he isn’t foolish enough to believe in all that “gold at the end of the rainbow” nonsense. Rather, he knows that the only way to separate the little people from their stash is to kidnap one of them and wait for the ransom to arrive. But when the time comes to put his plan into action, he doesn’t count on the appearance of the extrasmall, pointy-eared Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police Reconnaisance) Unit–and her senior officer, Commander Root, a man (sorry, elf) who will stop at nothing to get her back. [Amazon]

via Collider