Artemis Fowl has been called ‘the new Harry Potter’ plenty of times by the critics, and to be fair, the similarities are there. Both franchises hold their roots in novels – Potter’s seven to Fowl’s eight – and both take place in a weird and magical world.

Both, too, follow a teenage male protagonist who is fighting against adversity. Fowl, though, is a little criminal master, while Potter was always a bit of a goody-two-shoes. Either way, it’s ripe for a cinematic re-imagining, and judging by the people behind the project, it’s got every chance of matching the Potter film franchise.

Eoin ColferEoin Colfer's books are about to get even bigger - IMAX bigger

“The live-action feature will be based on the first and second installments in Disney Publishing Worldwide’s best-selling children’s fiction series by author Eoin Colfer. The screenplay is being written by Michael Goldenberg (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix). Robert DeNiro and Jane Rosenthal will executive produce the project,” said a press release.

Film legend Harvey Weinstein will be working with Disney for the first time in almost a decade. "If you would have told me five years ago I would be producing a project with Disney I would have thought you were crazy," commented Weinstein, referring to his highly-public fallout with them back in 2004 over Fahrenheit 9/11. (BBC)

"I feel as though everything is coming full circle, considering Bob De Niro and Jane Rosenthal brought me this book while I was still at Miramax and within hours I told them I wanted the rights to the film," he added.

The writer, Eoin Colfer, is delighted with the progress being made on his book, and would like to see some of the story’s Irish roots come through in the film. "That would be the dream, to have it made in Ireland, with Irish actors in it. Saoirse Ronan would be the dream cast for Holly," he said, before expressing his blessing at the manpower behind the film.

"They are serious guys, and even their names involved in something can give it weight and a gravitas. The writer wrote one of my favourite movies, Contact, but he also wrote one of the Harry Potter's, so he's a guy that knows how to do science-fiction and kids' stuff," he said.

Harvey WeinsteinHarvey Weinstein is working with Disney again