Brazilian well-known writer Paulo Coelho has announced that he chose Jordan as the destination spot for his upcoming film "The Alchemist", which is one of the most famous books to date published in 1988, and was a No 1 best seller in 29 countries. The Brazilian writer is one of the mostly widely read authors in the world today and has sold more than 32 million books, and been translated into 51 languages.
Paulo revealed that he has chosen Jordan due to the fact that during his last trip, which was in May of this year, he discovered many beautiful historical places and scenery that would fit perfectly for the plot of his film. The writer stressed that he was amazed with what he saw in Jordan and decided that no other place would fit his description.
According to the London based daily, Al Hayat, artist Lawrence Fishborn, owner of an American production company, has asked Paulo for his permission to turn the book into a movie under his direction and production. Lawrence has nominated American pop-artist Madonna for the leading role in the film alongside British actor Jeremy Irons and a number of well-known people from the entertainment world. A total budget of 80 million has been set for the film.
The Alchemist is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who ventures from his homeland in Spain to North Africa in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a beautiful, young gypsy woman, a man who calls himself a king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is or if Santiago can surmount the obstacles along the way through the desert. But what starts out as a boyish adventure to discover exotic places and worldly wealth turns into a quest for the treasures only found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, Santiago’s story is an eternal testament to following our dreams and listening to our hearts.
Paulo Coelho was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He attended law school there but abandoned his studies in 1970 to travel throughout Mexico, Peru, Bolivia and Chile, as well as Europe and North Africa. Two years later he returned to Brazil and began composing popular music lyrics. After a brief imprisonment in 1974 for alleged subversive activities against the Brazilian government, Coelho worked for five years for the recording departments of PolyGram and CBS. Between 1981 and 1986 he studied with the order of RAM, an ancient, magical Spanish society. Now a literary phenomenon, he has sold over 20 million books world-wide and has been translated into 38 languages. He has received numerous literary awards from a variety of countries and his books have become permanent fixtures on the bestseller lists of countries as diverse as Brazil, the UK, the USA, France, Italy, Germany and Greece. He and his wife Christina live in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. –Albawaba.com
