Paolo Coelho's masterpiece of a novel, "The Alchemist" is one of those Hollywood projects that need serious contemplation before pushing through, and so everybody involved did just that.
The attempt to adapt his novel has been going on for over two decades, according to Empire Online, with several script drafts coming and going. Now, however, a major development has come up since the Weinstein Company, which has really been pushing for the project to happen has now chosen Idris Elba to star in the film.
Another star who is deeply involved in the film is Laurence Fishburne, who has been supporting the project way back before the Weinsteins did (he was in talks to serve as its director back in 2003). Fishburne will reportedly be making the current version of "The Alchemist."
Coelho's book is a worldwide hit, selling over 65 million copies that has been translated into 56 different languages. It actually holds the Guinness World Record for most translated work by a living author.
It tells the story of a young shepherd from Andalucia named Santiago who dreams of uncovering buried treasure that is said to be hidden near the Pyramids. The shepherd then resolves to seek the treasure and so he does, but not without encountering several roadblocks and all sorts of obstacles that almost tempt him to give up.
For the movie project, the biggest roadblock so far has been trying to find a good balance between the film's thematic needs and the need to provide entertaining action. Its budget is another concern too, with its needs covering around $60 to $100 million.
However, the Weinstein Company remains hopeful that they will be able to get the ball rolling on the movie and start shooting next year. Elba's schedule is pretty tight now that he is working on films such as "Beasts of No Nation," "A Hundred Streets," "Bastille Day," Disney's live action movie "The Jungle Book," and possibly even "Star Trek Beyond."
Given its success, people assume that Coelho must have spent years writing the novel. But surprisingly, the author admitted that it only took two weeks to write back in 1987, and he explained that the story was "already written in his soul."
A lot of people actually think that "The Alchemist" is more of a self-help book rather than a work of fiction, since it teaches people how to embrace their destiny. One famous line from the book even says, "When you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true."
