Artemis Fowl the movie- news:
USA Today (1/20/2004) mentions the series in its roundup of post-LOTR studio film projects:
Artemis Fowl. The anti-hero star of a quartet of books (the fourth is due this year) by Irish author Eoin Colfer, Artemis is a 12-year-old criminal mastermind who kidnaps feisty fairy Holly Short to steal her gold. Little does he realize she is a captain of an underground law-enforcement unit, LEPrecon, and elves, dwarfs and fellow fairies plot her rescue.
Although a deal and date were previously announced, Miramax, whose publishing arm puts out the books, is seeking a new director and polishing the script for what Colfer has dubbed "Die Hard with fairies."
Though not known for family fare, Miramax is seeking "more kids' stuff with a similarly distinctive edge," says creative affairs vice president Jennifer Wachtell.
Need clarification re: Tribeca/Robert DeNiro, et.al, 12/7/03
Variety says Tribeca/DeNiro are attached to Michael Chabon's project Summerland, NOT Artemis Fowl but other sources from early 2003 say that Tribeca is involved with the AF movie. I can' t find clarity one way or the other on this... Both stories involve fairies, but they couldn't BE more different from each other. Tribeca Entertainment's site does NOT list Artemis as being in development. Argh! Also, various sources say that Larry Guterman is now shooting The Mask 2 in Australia as of November 2003, so it's unlikely that he's working on AF...
Unison.ie- Business, 12/7/03
(registration required- here's relevant bits)
ARDMORE Studios, the Wicklow film-studio complex controlled by U2 manager Paul McGuinness and businessman Ossie Kilkenny, saw profits dip by 10 per cent last year as a slowdown in Irish film-making hit the industry over fears that tax breaks might be axed... Ardmore, which is Ireland's only four-wall studio, has also been used for the filming of Oscar-winning movies Braveheart and My Left Foot.... Figures for the studio could be set to increase dramatically next year following Charlie McCreevy's decision to extend the Section 481 film tax break until 2008. The reprieve for the tax break may see a number of major Hollywood-backed movies filmed in Ireland, giving the local economy a huge boost....
A decision is expected shortly on the Miramax/Hell's Kitchen project Artemis Fowl, based on Eoin Colfer's top-selling series of children's fantasy novels about a young master criminal.
Unison.ie- Film, 12/4/03
(registration required...but here's the most crucial bit)
ARDMORE studios is set to inform Hollywood studios including Miramax in the coming days of the Budget decision to extend Section 481 tax break provision for films until 2008. Kevin Moriarty, Managing Director of Ardmore in Bray, Co Wicklow last night welcomed the decision and said the studio could now enter negotiations with big-budget Hollywood studios about bringing projects to this country including discussions with Miramax on a €250m trilogy production of 'Artemis Fowl.' While Miramax had expressed an interest in filming the movie in Ireland the project was effectively on ice pending a decision by Charlie McCreevy on the future of the tax breaks. (emphasis mine) Penned by Wexford school teacher Eoin Colfer, the tale is being hailed as the Irish version of 'Harry Potter' and would have a budget of some €70m a movie.
ShowBiz Ireland, 12/4/03
Good news for both Irish makers like Jim Sheridan and International film makers Jerry Bruckheimer - Section 481 Tax Incentive for the Film Industry WILL remain in place until 2008!
Irish Examiner, 9/22/03
Or maybe NOT...
Nearly 80% of film production work in Ireland will cease if the Government removes the Section 481 tax incentive by the end of 2004. The claim was made by Screen Producers Ireland (SPI) who said that the knock-on effect of this would impact on the 1,000 students currently enrolled in film related studies.
It's a Wrap E-Zine, 9/6/03
The drama continues:
Irish director, Jim Sheridan has denied rumours that he is the confirmed director for the multi-million dollar project 'Artemis Fowl'. The three-part Hollywood blockbuster is presently in production and locations are currently being scouted, however tax breaks have meant the producers are favouring New Zealand over Ireland. Jim Sheridan in an interview with 'Movies Plus' magazine, admitted he was approached to take the reigns of the movie but won't commit unless the movie is filmed on Irish soil.
BBC Films article, 8/30/03
Mostly unrelated but SLIGHT followup to prior two articles:
"On the way back to the airport the next day, my taxi driver tells me that the studio behind "Artemis Fowl" (a combo Harry Potter-meets-Indiana Jones kids' book turned multi-billion-dollar movie) has said it will only come to Ireland if the Government renews the tax breaks for foreign productions, and that the Government has agreed..."
Irish Examiner, 8/20/03
The 38-year-old has been out and about, scouting locations and promoting these to Miramax Pictures, which has thrown its weight behind the $250 million project, along with Hollywood heavyweight, Harvey Weinstein, and Irish director Jim Sheridan. Arthur Lattins of Hell's Kitchen Films is also involved. It's the biggest-ever Hollywood venture earmarked for Ireland. Colfer won't be doing any further work on the screenplay...
Hell's Kitchen Films: Biography of Arthur Lappin (mentioned in the 8/20/03 article as being involved with the Artemis movie) NOTE: I guess the 8/20 article overrides the Richard DeNiro/Tribeca films/Larry Guterman info of January 2003... hmmm...
Irish Examiner, 8/12/03
IRELAND will lose out on the biggest Hollywood film earmarked for the country unless the Government retains lucrative tax breaks for the industry.The warning came from international renowned author Eoin Colfer, as a major Hollywood studio gears up to adapt his fantasy novel Artemis Fowl for the big screen...
It's a Wrap E-zine, 8/5/03
Nothing new here EXCEPT that this is one of SEVERAL Irish sources that I've seen note the Artemis movie, in passing, as a trilogy. Does this mean we'll see material from Arctic Incident and Eternity Code filmed as well?
By the time the three part movie is made Artemis Fowl is going to be the hottest property in town. Forget Harry Potter, Forget Lord of the Rings - this is going to be huge. Hop on the bandwagon now, so you can sit in the cinema in two years time and yawn loudly at all the newbies, claiming you've been into Artemis Fowl since the summer of 2003.
Laws of Attraction, citing a 7/13.03 article
The uncertainty is hitting Lappin and Sheridan's company Hells Kitchen directly. "We've about six or seven films seriously looking at shooting in Ireland in the next 12 months, and there's a further 10 to 15 projects where if we knew that Section 481 was to be continued, then we'd be in much more active discussions."
Lappin has a $140m project straining at the leash to be made here but only if the tax breaks remain in place. "There's one book - a Lord of the Rings type trilogy - and the studio is very interested. They're ready to do the first one but they won't do the first one here unless they know that they can do the other two as well." He won't go into detail about the project but it's fairly clear that it's Artemis Fowl, a series of fantasy books about a young master criminal, written by former Wexford school teacher Eoin Colfer. A decision on the location is expected shortly. Our new deadly rival New Zealand is also in the running. Worryingly.
Livejournal: dbborrough, 5/11/03
Short mention of an Eoin Colfer signing/book reading in which Eoin mentions that Artemis will be found via open-casting and that the script of the film is nearly complete.