Paulo Coelho’s ‘The Alchemist’ to be filmed by Laurence Fishburne and Harvey Weinstein
‘The Alchemist’, the best-selling book by Paulo Coelho will be turned into a film.
Laurence Fishburne will direct, write and star in the $60 million production, which is being made by Harvey Weinstein.
‘The Alchemist’ book has sold over 30 million copies worldwide and translated into 67 languages. Such is its enduring appeal, it is currently at number six on The New York Times bestseller list, 20 years after its first publication.
It tells the story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who travels across the Egyptian desert in search of treasure, leading to an encounter with an alchemist who teaches him the meaning of life.
Weinstein unveiled details of the film at the Cannes Film Festival and said it was a project dear to his heart.
He said: “It is a book I have been truly inspired by and I have agreed to personally produce it. The Alchemist is simple and spiritual, and the screenplay will reflect that. The book means so much to people on a spiritual level yet there is also a great love story in it. It is an incredibly moving, emotional story.”
The film will have the feel of Life Is Beautiful and Cinema Paradiso, and will be made by the team behind The Aviator, Gangs Of New York and The English Patient.
Fishburne will play the alchemist of the title and Weinstein said he was determined to cast Penelope Cruz after seeing her in Cannes film Vicky Cristina Barcelona earlier this week. “One way or another I’m finding a part for Penelope Cruz,” he said.
The project has been in gestation for over a decade and marks the major directorial debut of Fishburne, the Oscar-nominated star of The Matrix and Boys N The Hood.
He said: “It is wonderful to be bringing this best-beloved novel to the big screen. I feel like the luckiest man on the planet.”
The film will beginning shooting late next spring.
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41 Kung Fu Pandas - Jack Black at Cannes
The animated movie Kung Fu Panda with voices of Jack Black, Jackie Chan, Dustin Hoffman, Lucy Liu, Angelina Jolie had its premiere yesterday at Cannes Film Festival, out of competition, of course.
Jack Black and 40 Kung Fu Pandas kicked off the Cannes Film Festival yesterday, and here’s some photos:
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Benicio del Toro as Ernesto “Che” Guevara - First Official Photos
A pair of films by Steven Soderbergh about the life of Argentinian revolutionary Che Guevara is likely to prove an early favourite to win the Palme d’Or at next month’s Cannes film festival.
Amid a line-up notably light on British filmmakers and actors, the Soderbergh diptych stars Benicio del Toro as Ernesto “Che” Guevara de la Serna.
Each of the two films will focus on a different episode in Che’s life:
The Argentine dramatises the struggle of Che and Fidel Castro to topple Cuba’s Batista regime in 1956,
And The Guerrilla will chart the episode when, eight years later, Che travelled to New York to address the United Nations.
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‘Blindness’ - New Clip
‘Blindness’ is Fernando Meirelles’ third film, after his heralded 2002 thriller “City of God” and 2005’s “The Constant Gardener,” landed the coveted opening night slot at the 61st Cannes Film Festival starting Wednesday.
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Emir Kusturica’s docu about Maradona - 61st Cannes Film Festival
New film ‘Maradona‘ directed by the award-winning Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica, in a few days, during the press conference of the 61st Cannes Film Festival, will finally have the premiere - out of competition/special screenings.
The famous Argentine football player Diego Maradona should also be present during the festival.
The huge delay on this film can be partly explained by the difficulties that Emir Kusturica has had to gather the rights on the numerous archive tapes he wanted to use.
Often considered as the best football player in the world, Diego Maradona is also known for his addiction to drugs. Wishing to show his true face, Emir Kusturica signs in this film an intimate portrait of the Pibe de Oro.
UPDATE 05/21/2008 Diego Maradona and Emir Kusturica about ‘Maradona‘ film
Kusturica has talked of this project several times :
”It is the first film that will treat all the aspects of the life of Maradona.
The film will be very complex to make, because I want to show the true personality of Maradona. Football is a science of great mathematical precision!
The film ends when the former football player is in good health, and has no more addiction to drugs.
We will shoot in the Aztec Stadium in Mexico, where Diego scored one of his most famous goals, during the World Cup 1986 against the English team”.
Former member of the band “Mano Negra”, Manu Chao composed great song for this documentary, ‘La vida es una tombola‘ (’The Life is Gamble’)
“We met all the three in Naples and it was wonderful. Emir wanted me to sing “Santa Maradona”, but I didn’t like the idea, so I composed a new song,” said Manu Chao.
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‘La vida es una tombola’ - Manu Chao
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61st Cannes Film Festival - Sean Penn Is President Of The Jury
Sean Penn, American actor and director, is named President of the Jury of the 61st Festival de Cannes, due to take place from May 14 - 25, 2008.
“In the last few years it seems there has been a rejuvenation of cinema building worldwide; increasingly thoughtful, provocative, moving, and imaginative films by talented filmmakers: that a new generation of filmmaking may have begun.”
”The Cannes Film Festival has long been the epicenter in the discovery of those new waves of filmmakers from all over the world. I very much look forward to participating in this year’s festival as President of the jury” Penn said.
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