Paulo Coelho on The Alchemist’s screen adaptation: I will watch it when it’s ready

Author Paulo Coelho made it clear that he won’t be involved in the production of the screen adaptation of his best-selling book The Alchemist. “I do not want to get involved in the production. I will watch it when it is ready,” he tweeted on Monday. 

Earlier this month, it was announced that Hollywood star Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett Smith will be producing the movie under the banner Westbrook Studios. The news came out on the occasion of the Cannes Film Festival and the tweet was followed by this announcement. “Needless to say, that I am a big fan of Will Smith,” the author wrote in the latter part of his tweet. 

The author also added in his tweet that he has sold the rights of the book back in 1992. Recently a Hollywood reporter has claimed that the production of the movie has come to a standstill due to financial constraints. Later the reporter clarified by quoting a production spokesperson that the issue wasn’t financial but of the transfer of the right. It was expected to be resolved in the coming days. However, the tweet has clarified the doubts and queries of the audience who are expecting to watch their favourite book’s adaptation on screen.

The Alchemist is a philosophical novel that follows the journey of a traveller. The book is an international bestseller and a source of motivation around the globe. Originally written in Portuguese in the year 1988, it was widely translated later into 80 languages, winning the author a Guinness World Record for the most translated book. The long-awaited film adaptation is to be starred by Sebastian de Souza, Tom Hollander and Shohreh Aghdashloo under the direction of Kevin Frakes.