ComingSoon.net has learned from filmmakers Scott McGehee and Dave Siegel (The Deep End, Bee Season) that they are currently working on an adaptation of The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho’s bestselling adventure novel about an Andalusian shepherd boy who travels the world looking for treasures, for the Weinstein Company.
We first heard about the project back in 2007 when actor Laurence Fishburne and A-Mark Entertainment bought the rights to the novel with plans to direct, then over a year later, the Weinsteins came on board to produce and distribute the movie. At the time, it was reported that they would be looking for writers for the project but there hasn’t been any development news since then. Coelho’s novel has sold over 30 million copies worldwide, becoming a bestseller in 18 countries.
There’s no word whether Laurence Fishburne may still be involved, either as director or starring in a key role as initially planned, but as directors themselves, McGehee and Siegel have also been looking at returning to a project called Baby, Baby, a baby heist comedy set in Turkey, which they’d been developing for years.
Look for our full interview with the duo talking about their latest movie Uncertainty in the next few weeks before its limited release on November 13.