Laurence Fishburne to direct, star in Alchemist adaptaion

Last seen making his presence felt in the high-stakes gambling thriller 21, Laurence Fishburne continues to provide yeoman supporting performances without too much acclaim. But Hollywood clearly likes this guy; he's slated to appear in seven more films over the next two years. Life post-Matrix trilogy is quite good, it seems.

In fact, make that eight films upcoming for Sir Laurence of Fishburne. News recently came over the wire that Harvey Weinstein (of the infamous Weinstein Brothers) has used his considerable clout to greenlight a film project that has been floating around the ether for nearly a decade-and-a-half. Author Paulo Coelho sold the movie rights to his international best-seller The Alchemist some 14 years ago, and since then it's been searching for a home.

Now the project is falling into Fishburne's hands. He'll act, direct and co-produce the film version of the book, and rumor has it he's also the lead candidate for key grip (rimshot!). Fishburne last manned the director's chair for 2000's Once In The Life, a crime drama that also featured him in the cast. But this Alchemist project represents something much larger: a $60 million epic with shooting planned in locations across the globe. This would not be a good time for Fishburne to experience the sophomore directorial slump.

The Alchemist tells the tale of a Spanish boy who journeys to Egypt in search of treasure and finds the mysterious alchemist, to be played by Fishburne. Released in 1988, the book sold 40 million copies worldwide and still resides on the New York Times best-seller list.

Related links:
PauloCoelho.com
Laurence-Fishburne.com
WeinsteinCo.com

Got news tips for Paste? E-mail news@pastemagazine.com.