RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — Megastar Anita will play the lead role in an as-yet-unnamed feature film that will be shot starting June 1 at media giant Globo’s Estudios Globo in Rio, Amauri Soares, executive director of Estudios Globo and TV Globo, tells Variety.
Soares will present this work today during Rio2Cpanel Globo: So Much Brasil to Tell.
Anitta herself came up with the original idea for the romance drama, which will be released in theaters. In it, Nina (Anitta) is a young woman who leaves Rio for a small town in southern Brazil in search of a new start after the death of her grandmother. There she meets Pedro (Kellner Macedo) and has an experience that changes her outlook on love, friendship, and the future.
A Brazilian singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur, Anitta has risen from Rio’s local funk sensation to global pop star by combining Brazilian rhythms with an aggressive international expansion strategy that includes releases in multiple languages, collaborations with major global artists, and a strong social media presence.
The film’s cast also includes Valentina Helsage, Regina Case, Felipe Frazon, and Maria Gladys. The screenplay was written by Juan Julian, Renata Correa, and Michel Carvalho. Directed by Felipe Barbosa (Casa Grande, Gabriel and the Mountains) and produced by Juliana Khalil. Bettina Paulón will serve as executive producer and José Luis Villamarín will serve as artistic director.
“Anitta’s film is a concrete example of our new approach. The original idea for the film came from Anitta herself. It’s up to our writers and production team to develop and bring the project to fruition,” said Soares.
Amauri Soares. Credit: Fabio Rocha
Fabio Rocha
He added that Estudios Globo’s film department has produced 21 films since 2023. Production is carried out by in-house teams, co-productions with independent companies in Brazil and abroad, and in partnership with TV Globo affiliate stations. The film is distributed in multiple windows, including theatrical free-to-air TV Globo, pay TV channel Telecine, and streamer Globoplay.
“Other projects with key talent are currently in development. The film production is strategic to expand our connections with the creative ecosystem and strengthen our partnerships with the market,” Soares said.
