‘Artemis Fowl’ Will Skip Theaters, Go Straight to Disney+
While they didn’t announce its actual release date yet, Disney revealed today — as part of sweeping changes to their release calendar that included pushing back the entire Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, rescheduling Mulan and Jungle Cruise, and postponing Indiana Jones 5 by at least a year — that the company’s adaptation of the popular young-adult book series Artemis Fowl will bypass a theatrical release altogether and instead “exclusively” go straight to the company’s streaming service, Disney+.
The film was originally scheduled to open in theaters on May 29, 2020. It’s a bit of a sad outcome for Artemis Fowl, which has been in development in Hollywood for years and years. (The book series by Eoin Colfer began publishing in 2001.) Disney spent a reported $125 million on the film so forgoing theaters presents a major loss of potential revenue. (If you want to speculate that the film looked like a flop, and therefore this move means far less of a potential loss than it appears, particularly after you factor in the money Disney will save on the film’s theatrical marketing campaign, you go right ahead.)
Here was Disney President Ricky Strauss’ comment on the news:
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.
And here’s the film’s most recent trailer:
We’ll update this post when Disney reveals Artemis Fowl’s debut date on Disney+.
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