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Following the runaway success of the streaming series “Adolescence,” the big time is calling for its helmer Philip Barantini.
A former actor and the filmmaker behind Netflix’s fourth-biggest English language series ever, Barantini is in discussions to direct an epic film adaptation of the beloved novel “The Alchemist,” sources tell Variety.
Legendary is producing the project based on the book written by Paul Coelho, first published in 1988. Having sold over 150 million copies, the book topped the New York Times best-seller list for more than 400 weeks and holds the record for the most translated work by a living author. Legendary has been responsible for an uptick in optimism around town, having produced the unexpected blockbuster “A Minecraft Movie” for Warner Bros. “The Alchemist” follows protagonist Santiago, a young man who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure as extravagant as any ever found.
Legendary is eyeing a 2026 production start, another source adds. Barantini would come directly off his current gig directing the third installment of Millie Bobby Brown’s “Enola Holmes” series at Netflix. Reps for Barantini did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Adolescence” has been a massive U.S. breakout for the Liverpool-born Barantini and his creative partner and star Stephen Graham (who audiences will also see later this year in Jeremy Allen White’s Bruce Springsteen biopic “Deliver Me From Nowhere”). An alarming look at contemporary boyhood and the wasteland of digital culture, the series has prompted renewed political action around the policing of social media and device access for children and young adults.
Barantini’s credits include the four-time BAFTA nominated feature “Boiling Point,” which was spun into a successful BBC series that just launched its second season. Barantini also created, directed and executive produced “Malpractice” for ITV. As an actor, he appeared in works including “Dream Team,” “Band of Brothers” and “The Responder.”
