Artemis Fowl is getting another shot at the screen. An animated series based on Eoin Colfer’s bestselling book franchise has been officially greenlit for Disney Channel and Disney+. The announcement came during the “25 Years of Artemis Fowl” panel at New York Comic Con on Sunday, October 11, 2026, where Colfer himself shared the news with fans.
The new show will follow 13-year-old genius Artemis Fowl as he uncovers an underground world of armed, high-tech fairies and hatches a plan to capture one to steal its magic. His goal: heal his dying mother and save his family. Disney says the series will “dig deeper into the characters and lore of the beloved book series,” giving longtime readers more of the world they grew up with.
What the New Show Is About
The animated series is based on Colfer’s book franchise, which launched in 2001 with the first Artemis Fowl novel. The story centers on a young criminal mastermind who discovers a hidden civilization of technologically advanced fairies living beneath the Earth’s surface. Instead of running from them, he decides to outsmart them.
The logline for the series describes Artemis as a boy who “uncovers an underground world of armed and dangerous — and surprisingly high-tech — fairies as he launches a plan to capture one and steal its magic to heal his dying mom and save his family”.
This is not a simple retelling. Disney’s announcement says the show will explore the characters and mythology of the books in greater depth than previous adaptations have attempted.
Eoin Colfer Is Directly Involved
Colfer is serving as an executive producer on the animated series, which means the author has a direct hand in shaping how his characters come to life on screen. He will work alongside Ben Juwono and Colleen Evanson, both of whom are also executive producers.
Juwono is an Emmy and Annie Award-winning animation creator known for his work on Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur and Big Hero 6: The Series. Evanson has writing and story editing credits on DuckTales and Monsters at Work.
“I am proud and delighted to be part of the formidable team that is putting the ‘Artemis Fowl’ animation on screen,” Colfer said. “Everyone is so talented and so positive that I feel certain the fairy world is in excellent hands.”
Ayo Davis, president of Disney Kids & Family, also shared her thoughts on bringing the franchise back.
“For more than two decades, Eoin Colfer’s ‘Artemis Fowl’ books have captivated readers around the world with unforgettable characters, imaginative world-building, and gripping adventures,” Davis said. “Bringing this beloved franchise to life as an animated series gives us the opportunity to introduce a new generation to Artemis’ world while honoring the longtime fans who have cherished these stories for years.”
The Books Have a Massive Global Following
The Artemis Fowl series has sold more than 35 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 48 languages. Colfer has written 11 novels in the main series, with the most recent published in 2021. There is also a companion book and a short story in the franchise.
The first book arrived in 2001, four years after J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone introduced readers to the Wizarding World. Both franchises feature young protagonists in hidden magical worlds, and Artemis Fowl was often talked about as a possible successor to Harry Potter in the early 2000s. What set Artemis apart was his moral ambiguity — he was a criminal mastermind, not a traditional hero.
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The 2020 Movie Did Not Go Well
Disney previously adapted the first book as a live-action film directed by Kenneth Branagh. The movie was originally planned for theaters but was released directly on Disney+ in June 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It starred Ferdia Shaw as Artemis, alongside Lara McDonnell, Josh Gad, Judi Dench, Colin Farrell, and Nonso Anozie.
Reviews were overwhelmingly negative. The film holds an 8% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics and fans pointed out major changes from the books, including softening Artemis from a young criminal into a more conventional hero, altering his father’s story, and combining material from the first two novels. Disney removed the movie from Disney+ in 2023.
The animated series marks a fresh start for the franchise, moving away from the live-action approach that did not connect with audiences.
What We Know About the Release
No release date has been announced for the Artemis Fowl animated series. Disney has not shared a premiere window or a first-look trailer. A poster was shown during the New York Comic Con panel, but it has not been widely released online yet.
The show is confirmed for both Disney Channel and Disney+, which means it will air on traditional television and stream on Disney’s platform. For global audiences, this typically means the series will be available on Disney+ in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, India, and other markets where the streaming service operates, though exact regional rollout details have not been confirmed.
The “25 Years of Artemis Fowl” panel took place on Sunday, October 11, 2026, at New York Comic Con. Colfer also held a signing event at Hall 1A, Table #44 from 3:00 to 4:00 PM that day.
Stay tuned to VvipTimes for more updates on Artemis Fowl and your favorite book-to-screen adaptations.
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