New Artemis Fowl Photo Reveals First Look at Judi Dench’s Character

Walt Disney Pictures has released a new photo from director Kenneth Branagh’s Artemis Fowl, the long-awaited adaptation of author Eoin Colfer’s young adult book series of the same name. The photo features Academy Award-winning actress Dame Judi Dench, giving us our first look at her character Commander Root, the leader of the fairy police force. Check out the photo below (via Entertainment Weekly).

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Disney’s Artemis Fowl, based on the beloved book by Eoin Colfer, is a fantastical, spellbinding adventure that follows the journey of 12-year-old genius Artemis Fowl, a descendant of a long line of criminal masterminds, as he seeks to find his father who has mysteriously disappeared. With the help of his loyal protector Butler, Artemis sets out to find him, and in doing so uncovers an ancient, underground civilization—the amazingly advanced world of fairies. Deducing that his father’s disappearance is somehow connected to the secretive, reclusive fairy world, cunning Artemis concocts a dangerous plan—so dangerous that he ultimately finds himself in a perilous war of wits with the all-powerful fairies.

Newcomer Ferdia Shaw plays the title character, with Lara McDonnell (Love, Rosie) playing Captain Holly Short, a feisty, spirited elf, who is kidnapped by Artemis for a ransom of fairy gold. In the underground fairy world of Haven City, Academy Award-winner Dame Judi Dench (Skyfall) plays Commander Root, the leader of the reconnaissance division of the LEPrecon, the fairy police force, and Josh Gad (Beauty and the Beast) plays Mulch Diggums, a kleptomaniac dwarf, who attempts to help rescue Holly.

Above ground, Nonso Anozie (Cinderella) plays the Fowl family bodyguard, named Butler, and Tamara Smart (The Worst Witch) plays Butler’s niece Juliet.  Miranda Raison (Murder on the Orient Express) plays Artemis’ mother Angeline.

Other members of the cast include Josh McGuire (About Time), Hong Chau (Downsizing), Nikesh Patel (London Has Fallen), Michael  Abubakar (Trust Me), Jake Davies (A Brilliant Young Mind), Rachel Denning (Doctor Who), Matt Jessup (Dread), Simone Kirby (Alice Through the Looking Glass), Sally Messham (Allied) and Adrian Scarborough (Les Misérables).

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Directed by Kenneth Branagh, the book was adapted for the screen by award-winning playwright Conor McPherson. Artemis Fowl is produced by Branagh and Judy Hofflund, with Matthew Jenkins and Angus More Gordon serving as executive producers.

Branagh brings back several members of his creative team, including Haris Zambarloukos, director of photography; Jim Clay, production designer; Patrick Doyle, composer; and Carol Hemming, hair and makeup designer—all of whom worked on Branagh’s 2017 directorial project, Murder on the Orient Express. The costume designer is Sammy Sheldon Differ (Assassin’s Creed), and the film will be edited by Martin Walsh (Wonder Woman).

Artemis Fowl lands in theaters on August 9, 2019.

Disney’s “Artemis Fowl” reveals first look at Judi Dench as Commander Root https://t.co/TjCtd1nbD2

— Eoin Colfer (@EoinColfer) December 20, 2018