It’s been stuck in development hell for years now, but Artemis Fowl is finally moving ahead at Disney. The movie is based on a series of novels written by Eoin Colfer, and there’s definitely the potential here for a franchise should the studio find success with this movie.

For those of you unfamiliar with Artemis Fowl, it  follows the brilliant and cunning 12-year-old eponymous criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl II, whose plot to extort gold from the secret Fairy People puts him directly in the cross-hairs of some of the most dangerous creatures on earth. Over the series, Fowl becomes a sort of antihero rather than a full-fledged villain, often having to work together with the fairies to stop a slew of treacherous megalomaniacs.

Now, Cinderella and Thor director Kenneth Branagh is attached to helm the adaptation, with Irish playwright Conor McPherson in talks to pen the script. It sounds like the project is still in the very early stages of development, but things are looking good for the movie.

Colfer has actually since taken to YouTube to express his thoughts on this Artemis Fowl movie, revealing that he’s cautiously optimistic about the chances of it finally happening. The books are entertaining, and if done right, this could end up making for a must-watch movie.