MFF inks deal to adapt Globo telenovelas for the US market

LA-based studio MFF & Co has closed an agreement with Globo to adapt the Brazilian broadcaster’s daytime and primetime telenovelas for the US market.

Miura Kite

MFF is the US subsidiary of Brazil-based production company Maria Farinha Filmes, inaugurated last year and led by Miura Kite, president of global content and former VP of the American production company Participant Media.

According to the agreement announced by Globo, MFF will work with experienced American screenwriters to reinvent each series in the traditional format of the US, with multiple seasons.

The initial titles from the Globo catalogue that will be developed for the US market include titles such as International Emmy winner Empire (aka Império), Belíssima, The Other Side of Paradise and All the Flowers.

The development of each adaptation, the companies added, will be led by Kite, who has been executive producer of titles such as Interior Chinatown (Hulu), Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey (Netflix) and Noughts + Crosses (BBC), and participated in the development of When They See Us (Netflix), Big Love (HBO), The Pacific (HBO) and John Adams (HBO) as well as films such as Mamma Mia!, Charlie Wilson’s War and Where the Wild Things Are.

“Brazilian telenovelas have mastered the art of emotional connection with broad audiences,” said Kite, adding that MFF would “create premium US versions of these telenovelas while preserving all of the glorious twists, addictive characters, epic cliffhangers and jaw-dropping storylines.”

Estela Renner, showrunner, co-founder and creative director of MFF, added: “Brazil is one of the world’s most culturally dynamic countries, home to more than 220 million people with roots from every corner of the globe. When a story connects with multicultural audiences here – often drawing tens of millions of viewers per title – it signals the power to transcend borders. Globo has elevated the telenovela into a storytelling art form with universal appeal.”

Angela Colla, director of international business and co-productions of Globo, added: “This agreement highlights the universal appeal of our storytelling and the strength of our telenovelas. Bringing stories that captivated Brazilian audiences to new markets is not only rewarding but also a testament to Globo’s creative power on the global stage.”