Renowned filmmaker and multi-talented artist Andrucha Waddington (“The House of Sand”), who gained acclaim for his work on the critically praised ER series “Under Pressure,” is now turning his talents to a new project. His latest offering, “Ângela Diniz: Assassinada e Condenada” (“Ângela Diniz: Murdered and Convicted”), set to debut on HBO Max, explores a notorious true crime case involving the murder of a well-known socialite by her boyfriend in the 1970s. An exclusive image from Variety can be viewed above.
Produced by Waddington’s independent production company Conspiração, “Ângela Diniz: Assassinada e Condenada” is scheduled for release on November 13 across all regions where HBO Max operates.
This series draws inspiration from the “Praia dos Ossos” podcast by Rádio Novelo and sees Waddington collaborating with “Under Pressure” and “The End” star Marjorie Estiano, who portrays the eponymous character. The story opens with Diniz deciding to leave her affluent husband—a bold move during the era’s prevailing conservative and patriarchal norms. Her quest for joy and romance becomes fodder for the media, with her boyfriend’s defense adopting the concept of “defense of honor” to justify his actions, sparking a fierce debate that fueled a significant feminist movement and continued until the legal term’s repeal in 2021.
In an interview with Variety during the Rio Film Festival, where the series premiered to a captivated audience, Waddington described the project as a “dream.” He expressed gratitude to podcast creators Branca Vianna and Flora Thomson-DeVeaux for providing in-depth research materials for the creative team.
“Conspiração had a strong belief in this project; we secured the rights in 2019 even before the podcast’s release. Our goal was to highlight Diniz’s life and how the media distorted her narrative to examine the persistent sexism in our society despite significant progress,” Waddington stated.
Renata Rezende, senior director of production content for Brazil at Warner Bros. Discovery, emphasized that the project aims to facilitate ongoing discussions about women’s freedoms and societal perceptions, noting, “We believe such narratives are crucial for reflecting on the state of women in our country and inspiring dialogue that remains relevant today.”
Reflecting on his first venture into true crime, Waddington shared that he is driven by the desire to explore new creative territories. Although he has dabbled in various genres from thrillers to musicals, he is keen to try his hand at science fiction: “It’s an intriguing subgenre I haven’t explored yet.”
The day prior to the Rio Film Festival premiere of “Ângela,” Waddington’s debut feature film, “Twins,” was screened, accompanied by the iconic mother-daughter duo Fernanda Montenegro and Fernanda Torres, who is Waddington’s wife and longtime collaborator. Waddington remarked, “Since the film is the same age as the festival, it felt like a journey through time. Hearing Ilda (Santiago, festival executive director) speak about the film was deeply emotional. Next year marks 40 years of my journey in cinema, and it has flown by.”
Rezende added that premiering “Ângela Diniz” at the festival symbolizes a significant shift: “Film festivals have historically been spaces for cinema, so it’s meaningful to see series like this featured, emphasizing the blurring lines between television and film, particularly for works that exhibit exceptional artistic ambition and narrative depth. We take pride in this movement, as it is crucial to strengthening quality local content with cultural significance.”
As for future plans, Waddington has just completed filming “Emergência 53,” centered on Brazil’s mobile emergency service, and is gearing up for “Os Corretores” (‘The Realtors’ in literal translation), which features Torres, who also penned the screenplay. “The genre for ‘Os Corretores’ remains to be determined since we discover the tone as we develop the project. However, it will be a hyperrealist film set against the backdrop of Brazil’s real estate market during a brief economic boom that quickly turned into a bust,” he explained.
Waddington has witnessed the recent success of Brazilian cinema, particularly through the phenomenon of “I’m Still Here.” He expressed optimism about the current landscape, calling it a “magical year.”
He remarked, “Brazilian cinema has a phoenix-like quality; it continually experiences renewal. We’ve seen movements like Cinema Novo, and the Cinema de Retomada, and after the recent political changes, financing has resumed. The industry is thriving, providing two million jobs and contributing over R$70 billion (US$12.7 billion) to the national economy each year. We have created a well-structured industry.”
Waddington emphasized the need to regulate streaming platforms, stating, “This is a crucial step missing in Brazil. All other distribution channels are regulated; thus, it is time for streaming services to receive similar oversight to encourage and enhance domestic production.”
“Ângela Diniz: Assassinada e Condenada” is an original fictional series from HBO, produced by Conspiração and scripted by Elena Soárez, Pedro Perazzo, and Thais Tavares. Waddington and Renata Brandão are producing for Conspiração, while Mariano Cesar, Anouk Aaron, and Vanessa Miranda serve as executive producers for Warner Bros. Discovery.
