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Philip Barantini is reportedly in talks to direct a film adaptation of The Alchemist, the beloved novel by Paulo Coelho, signaling a major career milestone for the Adolescence director. According to Variety, the project is being developed by Legendary, with Sony’s TriStar Pictures and Palmstar also attached—TriStar is expected to handle global distribution.
Barantini’s potential involvement comes amid his rising acclaim for Adolescence, which has become one of Netflix’s biggest English-language hits. If confirmed, he would take on the Alchemist film following his work on Enola Holmes 3, another project tied to screenwriter Jack Thorne—who is also penning this adaptation.
The Alchemist is a massive property to adapt, having sold over 150 million copies and holding the record for the most translated book by a living author. The novel’s journey of spiritual self-discovery, led by young shepherd Santiago, has captivated readers worldwide since its 1988 release. Despite its popularity, multiple attempts to adapt it have fallen through over the years, making this iteration particularly high-stakes.
With Barantini’s raw, character-driven style and Thorne’s proven narrative skills, this adaptation might finally deliver on the promise fans have waited decades to see fulfilled on screen.