Artemis Fowl-Up : What can start-ups learn from a kids’ film?

Having a family with tweens, I was pleased to watch Artemis Fowl when it was released on Disney+. For those not familiar with the books, Artemis is a child who is a criminal mastermind with a hotline to a secret hi-tech fairy underworld. (It is for kids). 

Like any good fairy story, it triggered an immediate sense of wonder. Not the intended question: can we believe in fairies? But, why do fairies need all that tech? Why do they look like humans with Leonard Nimoy-style prosthetic ears? And, what were the film-makers thinking when they released such dross?   

Then it struck me: it was the very manifestation of poor product-market fit. Where did it go wrong?

1. The film-makers failed to understand their audience. Fans didn’t want to see Artemis Fowl on screen. They wanted a great story. That’s what drew them to the franchise in the first place. Unfortunately, the focus was on world-building and action. This is a lack of customer development, which is surprising given that it played on Disney+; most viewers will have seen multiple Pixar and Marvel films.

2. The best ideas they had access to did not make it into the product. Instead of using the best-selling Eoin Colfer stories, they created their own. Why? 

3. The team they assembled did not perform. There was a promising mix of youth and experience, including the great Dame Judie Dench and beguiling Nonso Anozie. But when the standout performer is Gavin Esler, you know something has gone wrong. Poor leadership?

4. The customer journey was flawed. For example, in failing to communicate that the Aculos could rescue Artemis’ father, audiences felt cheated at the end when they did not get the anticipated finale. If nine-years old can understand dramatic theory, why can’t screenwriters? They should have visualised and tested the script with audiences.

5. The brand was inauthentic. Artemis Fowl is a criminal mastermind. That’s his essence. There was nothing remotely criminal about this character on screen. The acting, yes, but character, no. The story failed as an ‘origin story’ because there was no arc to justify the claim that he had become a criminal mastermind by the end. Everything – including the conflict with the antagonist - was geared towards a second movie. The start of a franchise. But you can’t say one thing to your customers and do another. As most start-ups find out, if you get the first business model wrong, there is no sequel. 

The one thing they did get right was the distribution channel. It doesn’t take a criminal child mastermind to work out that releasing direct into homes to secure subscriptions is inspired. We’ll have to wait and see if it works despite the movie’s flaws. As the real Artemis Fowl once said, “If I win, I'm a prodigy. If I lose, then I'm crazy. That's the way history is written.”  

UP AND TO THE RIGHT.