The new animated film adaption of Lebanese author Kahlil Gibran's classic book " The Prophet " is set for release in Beirut, the capital of Gibran's homeland Lebanon, on April 27.

The best part? Film director and producer Salma Hayek will be in attendance. Hayek, a Mexican/American actress, is also of Lebanese descent and voices Kamila, the mother of Almitra, in the film. We love seeing Lebanese diaspora stars showing the homeland their appreciation.

The film has previously screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, the Cannes Film Festival, and the Ajyal Film Festival. Last month it was announced that it will be released in the United States on August 27 in Los Angeles and New York.

In addition to Hayek, voice actors involved with the project include Liam Neeson as Mustafa, John Krasinski as Halim, Alfred Molina as Sergeant, Quvenzhané Wallis as Almitra and Frank Langella as Pasha. Regional talent  involved with the production includes Emirati animator Mohammed Saeed Harib ("Freej") and Iranian-French author and director Marjane Satrapi ("Persepolis"). The Doha Film Institute  also co-financed the production with Participant Media, MyGroup Lebanon, FFA Private Bank, JRW Entertainment and Code Red Productions.

Gibran was born in the Lebanese mountain village of Bcharreh in 1884 and published "The Prophet," his best selling work, in 1923. Having sold over 100 million copies worldwide, the book has also been translated into more than 40 languages. After his death in 1931, Gibran was buried in his native village and a museum was erected in his honor.

Hayek told The Hollywood Reporter  that “being of Lebanese descent, I’m particularly proud to be part of a project that will present this masterpiece to new generations, in a way never seen before.”

With Hayek at the helm of the project and a stellar cast under her supervision, we are literally on the edge of our seats with anticipation for this film. Now it is just a matter of counting down the days until the Beirut premiere ... maybe we can even catch a selfie with Hayek on the red carpet?

Hey, we can dream.

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