The cast of "Artemis Fowl" has been announced, and someone alert the fairy police

If you grew up reading the Artemis Fowl books, you know how long of a wait it has been to see it on the big screen. While we still have quite a ways to go, now there’s some casting news, so like, an Artemis Fowl movie is coming, guys. FOR REAL this time. And if you didn’t grow up reading Artemis Fowl, (a) you super missed out and (b) for boy, are you in for a treat.

Eoin Colfer’s popular children’s books follow 12-year-old genius, Artemis Fowl, who finds himself entangled in the complicated supernatural world in search of answers about his father’s disappearance. He’s accompanied on his ~journey~ by a seriously colorful cast of characters, including — but not limited to — elves, centaurs, a dwarf, and a butler named Butler.

We cannot wait to see this story brought to life, and so we’re thrilled to finally put some faces to the names at long last.

Artemis Fowl himself will be played by Ferdia Shaw, an Irish actor who will make his feature debut in the role, meaning we don’t know much about him. But since Artemis is only supposed to be twelve years old, we’re excited at the prospect of this lil newcomer.

Mulch Diggums, a cantankerous and kleptomaniac dwarf, will be played by Josh Gad. Who is, if we may say, killing it on the kids movies front lately, between Frozen and Beauty and the Beast.

Maybe our favorite bit of casting for the film adaptation is Commander Root, who’s a man in the book. In the movie, he’ll be portrayed by Dame Judi Dench. Gender-swapping the role to cast Dench? Yeah, that’s the best news ever.

Lara McDonnell, another young actor like Ferdia Shaw with a few credits to her name, was cast as Captain Holly Short, an elf and officer for LEPRecon, a supernatural police force, and A+ pun.

Rounding out the cast as it stands right now, Nonso Anozie, the Captain from Cinderella, will be Artemis’s bodyguard, Butler.