The groups announced today the writers boarding three projects in development as part of a new partnership between the two companies to adapt a curated slate of hit Brazilian daytime and primetime telenovelas for North American audiences.
International entertainment studio MFF & CO and Globo, the largest communications company in Latin America, announced today the writers boarding three projects in development as part of a new partnership between the two companies to adapt a curated slate of hit Brazilian daytime and primetime telenovelas for North American audiences. The newly announced talent attachments mark a significant milestone in the creative development of the slate, bringing elite U.S. television creators to reimagine some of Globo’s most celebrated properties for the American market.
Writer Alexander Maggio is confirmed to adapt Empire, the 2015 International Emmy® Award-winner for Best Telenovela. Maggio brings extensive experience writing and co-executive producing high-stakes political and procedural dramas, including Homeland, Madam Secretary and FBI. Empire follows a self-made diamond baron whose powerful dynasty begins to crumble when betrayal erupts within his own family, and the return of his estranged daughter threatens to expose long-buried secrets that could destroy everything he built.
The Other Side of Paradise will be developed for North America by writer Jenny Lynn (Mayans M.C., Marvel’s Iron Fist, Arrow). Lynn will lead the adaptation of the telenovela, which was an international hit, licensed in 85 countries, and follows a young Brazilian teacher who is framed and committed to a psychiatric hospital by her mother-in-law in a plot to seize her family’s emerald-rich land. She later returns as a wealthy woman, determined to seek justice against those who betrayed her.
King of Cattle, an epic Brazilian saga about a decades-long land dispute between two rival immigrant families and a wealthy rancher who falls in love with a mysterious laborer who turns out to be his long-lost cousin, is being adapted by Ted Sullivan (Riverdale, Star Trek: Discovery, Pure Genius, Supergirl).
Estela Renner, Showrunner, Director, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of MFF & CO, states, “This marks a pivotal moment for our projects and partnership with Globo. These accomplished writers are fully equipped to transform these audience-proven Brazilian stories into series that truly resonate with global audiences. Globo’s telenovelas have always captured the cultural pulse of the moment, reflecting the depth of human emotion. Our creative challenge is to preserve that emotional intensity while reimagining these narratives through a contemporary lens for North American viewers.”
Angela Colla, Head of International Business and Coproductions of Globo, said, “This next phase of our partnership with MFF & CO represents an important evolution in how we bring Globo’s stories to the world. Having such accomplished writers attached to these projects reinforces the strength, relevance and adaptability of our content. These are stories that have already proven their emotional power with millions of viewers, and we are confident they can resonate just as deeply when reimagined for new audiences.”
Miura Kite, President of Global Content of MFF & CO, adds, “The attachment of these talented writers puts tested creative muscle behind the ambition of this slate. Each of them brings a distinctive auteurial voice and deep experience to this high-impact serialized storytelling. Their skill will leverage the DNA of Brazilian telenovelas into premium, multi-season series for the U.S. market. We’re building shows with rich emotional stakes, complex characters and addictive storylines designed to compete at the highest levels of global television.”
Additional standout titles on the slate include Belíssima, a classic telenovela with captivating characters by Silvio de Abreu and All the Flowers (Todas as Flores), a melodrama with a thriller-like pace, by João Emanuel Carneiro, author of the hit Brazil Avenue (Avenida Brasil), one of Globo’s best-selling titles.
The development of each series continues to be led by Miura Kite, President of Global Content at MFF & CO, working closely with Globo and U.S.-based creative teams to translate these iconic stories into a traditional multi-season format for U.S. audiences. By combining Globo’s richly layered, audience-tested storylines with MFF & CO’s intimate understanding of the U.S. market’s cultural specificities, the two companies are uniquely positioned to deliver breakthrough adaptations for a new generation of viewers.
Before joining MFF & CO, Kite served as Executive Vice President of Global Television at Participant, where she was executive producer of Hulu’s Interior Chinatown, Netflix’s Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey and BBC’s Noughts + Crosses. She was also involved in the development of Ava DuVernay’s limited Netflix series When They See Us. Prior to her time at Participant, Kite was Head of Development at Playtone for ten years, where she contributed to the development of series including Big Love, The Pacific and John Adams, as well as features such as the television docudrama Game Change, the musical romantic comedy Mamma Mia!, the drama Charlie Wilson’s War and Spike Jonze’s Where the Wild Things Are.
Kite is currently spearheading multiple high-profile projects at MFF & CO, collaborating with the groundbreaking U.S. director Joe Berlinger, along with award-winning writers and directors behind acclaimed series such as Euphoria.
