Josh Gad will join his ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ co-star Dame Judi Dench in the live-action remake of Disney’s ‘Artemis Fowl’.
Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation sees Gad star as Mulch Diggums, a kleptomaniacal dwarf, and Dench as leader of the fairies, Commander Root.
Other confirmed castings include Lara McDonnell as elf Captain Holly Short and Nonso Anozie is to play titular character Artemis’ bodyguard Butler.
Over 1,2000 youngsters applied for the lead part of the criminal mastermind, however, Branagh went with Ferdia Shaw, who is to make his big screen debut in the role.
The movie is based on the popular sci-fi books by Eoin Colfer and follows Artemis’ battle against a race of fairies.
It’s slated for release on August 9, 2019, with production set to begin early next year in the UK.
Meanwhile, Gad recently admitted he would leave his wife for Dench.
The 36-year-old actor – who has two daughters with wife Ida Darvish – admitted he has more than just a "crush" on his co-star and couldn’t wait to "look into [her] eyes" on the set of ‘Murder on the Orient Express’.
He said: "It goes beyond a crush. I flat out told my wife that if there was ever an opportunity, I would leave her for Dame Judi and the funny thing is she pretty much agreed to it. The first time she came into the make-up trailer, there as this silence because everyone was so intimidated. But – idiot that I am – I just walked over to her and said, ‘Dame Judi Dench?’ Only it came out sounding like, ‘Damn Judi Dench’. Still, that was it. It broke the ice and allowed us to look into each other’s eyes and see what was there … Pure, unadulterated love."
Josh Gad joins Judi Dench in Artemis Fowl remake
