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EXCLUSIVE: Happy Old Year, by Marcelo Rubens Paiva, nan writer of I’m Still Here, is being adapted by Netflix. I’m Still Here was adapted arsenic a movie to overmuch acclaim, while Happy Old Year will beryllium a series.
Considered a foundational communicative successful nan canon of precocious 20th-century Brazilian literature, Happy Old Year (original Portuguese title: Feliz Ano Velho) was first published successful 1982. The bid will beryllium produced by Amaia Filmes and City of God explanation O2 Filmes.
Netflix is expected to make nan news charismatic during nan ongoing FLIP literate show successful Paraty, successful nan Brazilian authorities of Rio de Janeiro.
Paiva is simply a novelist, playwright, screenwriter and journalist. Happy Old Year was his first book. His later autobiographical family memoir Ainda Estou Aqui formed nan ground for Walter Salles’ Oscar-winning movie I’m Still Here. Last twelvemonth hehttps://deadline.com/2025/02/marcelo-rubens-paiva-walter-salles-im-still-here-fernanda-torres-1236290842/ told Deadline astir having his activity adapted.
Happy Old Year is an autobiographical caller centered connected an mishap that near Paiva tetraplegic astatine property 20. It is an irreverent relationship of a melodramatic turning constituent successful his life, challenging stereotypes surrounding disablement while, thematically, speaking astir younker and coming of age.
“Happy Old Year has already been adapted into a play, a philharmonic and an opera, and now, finally, this work, which is truthful captious to Brazilian culture, is coming to streaming,” Paiva said. “I’m thrilled to spot different matrimony betwixt Brazilian lit and nan audiovisual arts, bringing our stories from nan pages to nan screen.”
Netflix has worked up a heavy Brazilian slate successful caller years and opened a new agency in nan state earlier successful 2026.
“Happy Old Year is simply a communicative that manages to scope nan cosmopolitan taxable of what it intends to beryllium young, from a highly individual account,” said Haná Vaisman, Director of Scripted Series for Brazil astatine nan streamer.
“Perhaps that’s why it created specified a beardown affectional relationship pinch an full procreation of readers. With this adaptation, we want those who already cognize nan communicative to beryllium moved by seeing it connected screen, and caller generations of fans to autumn successful emotion pinch it.”
Filming has not started yet. We will update erstwhile we person much accumulation info. In nan meantime, producers, Diane Maia from Amaia and Andrea Barata Ribeiro (O2 Filmes) said successful a associated statement: “Adapting Happy Old Year for nan surface is besides a measurement of engaging pinch Marcelo’s travel and nan courageousness he had to toggle shape his individual acquisition into cosmopolitan literature.”
The brace added: “There are stories we produce, and location are stories we consciousness a existent request to tell. It’s an honor, arsenic good arsenic a responsibility, to bring it to nan surface pinch each nan subtlety and truth it demands.”
