Irish author Eoin Colfer, who wrote the 'Artemis Fowl' adventure series, is to see his latest book ‘Airman’ given the big screen adaptation by the producers behind the Oscar nominated animation ‘Monster House’.
Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Beowulf) and director Gil Kenan, who created 2006’s animation 'Monster House', are partnering again for cinema version of the book with Kenan directing and Zemeckis producing.
A native of Co. Wexford, Colfer who is a qualified primary school teacher saw his first book ‘Benny and Omar’, published in 1998 with it’s sequel following in 1999. In 2001 the first ‘Artemis Fowl’ book was published following a 12 year old criminal mastermind. ‘Airman’ was published in January of this year. It has also just been announced that Colfer has been commissioned to write the sixth installment of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, entitled "And Another Thing..."
Set in the 1890’s on the sovereign Saltee Islands just off the Irish coast, ‘ Airman’ centers on Conor Broekhart, a young man who was born in a hot air balloon. After the King of the island is murdered, Conor is thrown into jail on the island of Little Saltee. After years of designing flying machines on the prison walls Conor eventually takes to the skies with his revolutionary designs.
Kenan directed 2006's ‘Monster House’, which Zemeckis executive produced alongside Steven Spielberg (Jurassic Park, Hook). Kenan’s next film is the upcoming 'City of Ember', starring Bill Murray and IFTA winning actress Saoirse Ronan. The film was shot in Belfast last year and opens in Irish cinemas on 10 October.
