Author, users conjure "Witch" film on MySpace (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - News Corp.'s MySpace iscollaborating with best-selling Brazilian author Paulo Coelhoto make a user-generated movie of his book "The Witch ofPortobello," which centers on a mysterious goddess figure,aTransylvania-born woman who as a girl is orphaned and adoptedby a wealthy Lebanese couple.

Users can submit videos focusing on one of the book'scharacters to MySpaceTV or Coelho's page,ocoelho. Up to 15 winning submissions will bemolded into a video "mash-up" called "The Experimental Witch."Users can also submit songs for a soundtrack to the film, withas many as 16 selected for the project.

Coelho said that his agent has been approached by "quite afew people" interested in buying the finished product for a52-minute TV film. No decision on final distribution of theproject has been reached, though.

"Witch" is not the only Coelho title that will get a filmtreatment. Last month, it was announced that his 1988 novel"The Alchemist" would be made into a $60 million-plus film forthe Weinstein Co. with Laurence Fishburne directing andstarring.

Coelho, the Guinness World Record holder as the mosttranslated living author, said that "Witch" will be the onlyproject that he's doing with his readers.

"I don't have any sort of idea of what's going to happen,"Coelho said, "which makes the project much more interesting."

The submission period for the project begins June 16 andcloses July 25, with winners to be announced August 24. Coelhosaid that winning filmmakers will receive a reward of 3,000euros ($4,638).

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter