Globo Seals Format Deal for U.S. With Anonymous Content, Celebrates Co-Productions With Ron Leshem, BBC, Fox

CANNES, France — A three-minute video featured at the Globo Showcase Cocktail on Sunday evening at Mipcom declared, “The future began 100 years ago,” showcasing the evolution of the Brazilian media powerhouse from its inception as a newspaper in 1925 to its establishment in radio and the Rede Globo television network.

The numerous international partnerships and agreements revealed by Angela Colla, Globo Head of International Business and Co-productions, at the Cannes Carlton Hotel on Sunday hinted at a renewed sense of purpose for Globo, as they forge ahead into the future.

With Brazil being a vast country, its struggle this century has been reaching out globally, while Globo seeks to expand its catalog beyond telenovelas, ensuring these formats maintain international appeal along with diversifying into other entertainment genres and business models.

One strategy for achieving this is through format deals. Colla remarked in Cannes, “This year marked a significant step in solidifying our presence in the format sales arena.”

In a recently announced partnership, Globoplay has teamed up with Anonymous Content to create a U.S. adaptation of “The Others.” The show, crafted by Lucas Paraizo (“Under Pressure”), explores themes of current intolerance within a gated community in Rio’s suburbs, where an altercation between two teenagers escalates into a violent clash between their parents. The format has already secured deals in Germany (ndF) and Greece (produced by Primavisione, aired by Alpha).

Further agreements disclosed by Colla included a collaboration with Turkey’s Ay Yapim for the revenge tale “Leyla,” the Turkish version of the acclaimed telenovela “Brazil Avenue,” which has been sold in over 20 countries worldwide.

Globo has also licensed the format for “All the Flowers,” focused on a visually impaired perfumer’s quest for love and freedom, to Greece’s Primavisione and Alpha. Additionally, it has secured a format agreement with Portugal’s SIC broadcast network for “Pages of Life,” a 2006 modern classic telenovela by Manoel Carlos.

Globo’s Ron Leshem, Fox, BBC Studios Collaborations

Another strategy for entering the global market is through international co-productions with significant creatives and companies. Just prior to the Showcase, Ron Leshem, known for creating the original “Euphoria,” announced a collaboration via his production label Crossing Oceans with Koby Gal Raday and Ilda Santiago’s Janeiro Studios along with Globoplay to develop the series “Paranoia.” 

Co-developed by Leshem and Claudia Jouvin, who recently gained recognition as the head writer of Globoplay’s hit “Perfect Days,” the series was described to Variety by its producers as “‘Black Swan’ and ‘Whiplash’ combined with the uplifting vibes of ‘Queen’s Gambit’ and the cultural significance of ‘Euphoria.’”

Unveiled on Saturday, Globo and Fox Entertainment Studios – the leading producer of Christmas films globally – are partnering to create an original English-language Christmas movie set in Brazil. To ensure cultural authenticity, Globo will provide creative direction to accurately portray Brazilian culture and traditions, particularly the unique manner in which Christmas is celebrated during the summer.

Last week, Globo and BBC Studios announced their first co-production deal for a documentary series that will “immerse audiences in the heart” of Brazil’s vast Amazon rainforest. Details of the series remain confidential, but Janet Brown, president of Global Content Sales at BBC Studios, indicated it will be a story fundamentally rooted in Brazil.

Alex Medeiros, Globoplay Director of Drama, Documentaries, and Films discussed other co-production projects at the Showcase, including upcoming titles with Telemundo Studios, a title to be announced soon; with Beta Film, which was announced last year at Mipcom; with Fremantle on the series “Crime Inc;” and with Gaumont USA on “Deluxe,” detailing the rise and fall of Eliana Tranchesi, a high-fashion icon in Brazil, which is set to begin production this week.

New Globo Shows Spark Interest

Globo has successfully licensed both “All the Flowers” and “Xuxa, the Documentary” to renowned Argentine network Telefe.

The trailer for Globoplay’s latest series, “Perfect Days” – a gripping abduction thriller that has gained recognition from Variety as a Must-See TV title for Mipcom – has become the most popular original series on Globoplay since its debut this summer, according to Colla. She referred to the Anonymous Content production as “a captivating series with a lasting impact” that showcases a different aspect of their audiovisual work.

Another Mipcom featured title, “Anything Goes,” a lavishly produced remake of a classic 1980s telenovela, achieved a remarkable 56% audience share during a pivotal moment, and is now Globo’s highest-grossing primetime telenovela, featuring 16 brands such as BYD, Corona, Uber, Amazon, Paramount, and L’Oréal, engaging in 76 sponsored content initiatives.

“We are storytellers and take immense pride in our dedication to quality and authentically showcasing the essence of our people — joy, diligence, creativity, resilience, and optimism, among other fundamental values,” Colla highlighted during the Mipcom Showcase.

“Our narratives are delivered responsibly, aimed at resonating and connecting with diverse audiences,” she added. “Moreover, diversity encompasses not just our content or genres, like telenovelas, series, or documentaries, but it also extends to our business strategies, including completed content, scripted formats, unscripted formats, and co-productions.”

Stay tuned for more updates.