'Merlin' adaptation secures a writer

Warner Bros. has hired a screenwriter to pen the script for the adaptation of T.A. Barron's The Lost Years of Merlin.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ed Whitworth will write the screenplay for the highly-anticipated movie. A script reader at Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions, Whitworth has been trying to be a screenwriter for 10 years.

"If it didn't work out, I'd move on to the next [script]," he said. "I would just try to persevere. It's something I really wanted to do, even when it got hard."

The film will tell the story of the wizard Merlin's growth from a young boy to a man that becomes the defender of the natural world and mentor to the famous King Arthur.

The amateur screenwriter is currently hard at work on the script.

"Everyone tells me it'll never happen this easily again," Whitworth added.

In the past few years, tales involving the wizard have become increasingly popular. The BBC broadcasts Merlin, a series that chronicles the adventures of the young wizard. Meanwhile, Starz features actor Joseph Fiennes in the role.

In addition, Working Title is currently trying to make a modern-day version of the legendary wizard's tale.