An Irish boy has been chosen to play the lead role in Artemis Fowl

Great news!

Disney has made a very exciting announcement today, after revealing that 12-year-old Ferdia Shaw will take the lead role in the live-action adaptation of Artemis Fowl. [caption id="attachment_380617" align="alignnone" width="180"] Image via Lisa Richards[/caption] The movie will be directed by Kenneth Branagh and produced by Judy Hofflund. They saw over 1,200 candidates for the role and decided that Irish newcomer Ferdia was the right person for the role. Descended from a long line of criminal masterminds, 12-year-old genius Artemis Fowl finds himself in a battle of strength and cunning against a powerful, hidden race of fairies who may be behind his father’s disappearance. Kilkenny native Ferdia will be joined by a host of Hollywood actors, Josh Gad taking on the role of Mulch Diggums, a kleptomaniacal dwarf who works for the fairies—and himself, Judi Dench as Commander Root, the steely leader of the fairy police force (LEPrecon) and Lara McDonnell as Captain Holly Short, the elf hero. Based on the bestselling book series by Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl is set for release in Irish cinemas in 2019.