AceShowbiz -

Walt Disney Pictures is teaming up with Harvey Weinstein and Robert De Niro to make a live-action adaptation of Eoin Colfer's bestselling book series "Artemis Fowl". Currently spanning eight novels, the children-favorite series tells the adventures of a 12-year-old criminal mastermind who kidnaps a fairy in order to harness its magic to save his family. The film will be based on the first and the second installments.

Weinstein, the co-chairman of The Weinstein Company, is tapped to produce the pic. Meanwhile, "Meet the Parents" star De Niro will executive produce along with Jane Rosenthal. Michael Goldenberg, who penned the BAFTA-nominated "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", is hired to write the movie for Disney.

"With its balance of mystery, adventure and family appeal, Artemis Fowl is a natural fit for Disney. We're looking forward to collaborating with Harvey on this exciting project," says Sean Bailey, Disney's president of production. The studio's chairman, Alan Horn, adds, "I had a wonderful time working with Harvey during my tenure at Warner Bros., and I'm very happy to continue that relationship here at Disney."

Weinstein, who executive produces "Lee Daniels' The Butler", comments, "This is a special project for me because my children absolutely love this book. This story is for everyone and there is no one better than Disney to make a film that will excite people young and old."

"I am thrilled to be reunited with Alan Horn who I worked with while he was at Warner Bros.," he says of his collaborator in "The Aviator". "It is also exciting to partner with friends Alan Bergman, Sean Bailey and of course Bob Iger who has been incredibly generous to me over the years."