A new trailer for Artemis Fowl has revealed when the movie will hit Disney+. Originally slated to release in the theaters this May, Artemis Fowl is now premiering exclusively on Disney+. The decision came about because many movie theaters continue to be closed due to the worldwide outbreak of COVID-19, forcing studios to reschedule the release of almost all their upcoming movie.
While Disney has selected new dates for big releases like Black Widow and Mulan, they have instead decided Artemis Fowl will break from tradition by foregoing a theatrical release and instead go straight to streaming. Disney's reasoning for the decision is surely multi-faceted, but it may relate to the fact Artemis Fowl had already been delayed a year from its original August 2019 release date and the less-than-enthusiastic response its most recent trailer receive from fans. This new trailer is basically a shorter re-cutting of the previous trailer for Artemis Fowl, but it does reveal when the movie will land on Disney+.
As it turns out, Artemis Fowl's release is actually being delayed again because it's new streaming release is coming two-weeks after what would have been its theatrical release date. Artemis Fowl will now be available to stream on Disney+ starting June 12. You can watch the trailer announcing its streaming debut, below.
Artemis Fowl is adapted from the book of the same name by Eoin Colfer, the first novel in a series of eight. The movie is directed by Kenneth Branagh and stars Colin Farrell, Judi Dench, Nonso Anozie, and Josh Gad alongside a crop of new talent, Ferdia Shaw and Lara McDonnell. Artermis Fowl underwent reshoots that appear to have bolstered the first book's slim story, incorporating elements from later novels. Farrell's role as Artemis' father, for example, was lifted from later novels and added to the movie during reshoots.
Clearly, Disney is hoping Artemis Fowl will become a hit franchise for them à la Harry Potter, but its repeated delays may have hurt those chances. Already, Artemis Fowl is going to have a difficult time finding its audience given its been almost 20 years since the first book released. Not to mention, fans of Artemis Fowl who Disney would like to impress have not been especially pleased with changes made from the source material. In which case, perhaps a release on Disney+ amid a worldwide pandemic will lead to Artemis Fowl finding new fans who are stuck inside with nothing to watch. It could be argued that more people would be willing to give Artemis Fowl a chance when it just appears on their Disney+ subscription than would have if they needed to leave the house and buy a movie ticket.
Source: Disney