As the year’s biggest movies are pushed back to new release dates further in the future, at a time when cinemas will hopefully have re-opened, plenty of people at home have been wondering which movies will end up with a streaming release. The latest to add to that list – following the online launch of Trolls: World Tour next week – is Disney’s adaptation of Artemis Fowl. Eoin Colfer’s fairy-kidnap novel about a 10-year-old criminal mastermind has long been mooted for a cinematic release, but in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic it’s now officially coming to Disney+.
While a streaming date for the film hasn’t yet been confirmed, it was originally planned to arrive on the big screen on 29 May 2020 – there’s no indication yet on whether it’ll keep that release date, or shift elsewhere. The film was already delayed from its initial August 2019 release date in the wake of the Fox deal. If the latest Artemis Fowl trailer left fans concerned that Kenneth Branagh's adaptation was diverging considerably from the tone and characterisation of the hit book series, the film will perhaps fare well as a higher-profile film launch for Disney’s nascent streaming service – more a Lady And The Tramp-style release than a lower-key Stargirl.
Stay tuned for more updates as Disney confirms a streaming date for Artemis Fowl, and wait to see if other movies end up with an online release instead. No word yet on The New Mutants…