From Scientology to self-help, it's been announced that storied actress Katie Holmes will star in a film adaptation of THE SECRET, the 2006 best-selling self-help book by Rhonda Byrne. Funnily enough, the title for the book is based on an earlier film of the same name. In the book, Byrne asserts the pseudo-scientific "law of attraction" which proposes that thoughts can change the world directly. Since it's publication, the book has gone on to sell over 30 million copies and has been translated into 50 different languages around the world.
In what we know so far, the screenplay for the film will be written by TV's THIS IS US scribe Bekah Brunstetter. Holmes will step into the role of a hard-working young widow with three children who hires a handyman to fix her house during a terrible storm. As the handyman grows closer to the family, he shares his philosophy of believing in the power of the universe to deliver what we want, but the widow soon realizes he carries a secret connection to her past.
Set to direct THE SECRET is Andy Tennant (EVER AFTER: A CINDERELLA STORY, SWEET HOME ALABAMA, HITCH). In speaking about her book being transformed into a film, Rhonda Byrne was quoted as saying, “I am so excited that the film version of The Secret is finally here. This movie will not only be a great thrill for The Secret fans across the planet, it’s also certain to ripple out and touch millions more people. The Secret book was life changing for so many, and this movie continues that legacy within a stunning piece of entertainment.”
Seeing as the project is just now getting off the ground, there are no details in regard to when the film will be released. For the time being, you can catch Katie Holmes as Bobbie Jo Logan Chapman in Steven Soderbergh's LOGAN LUCKY, which opens in theaters on August 18th.