Brazilian Major Streamer Globoplay Bets on Global Reach of True Crime By Bringing Fourth Season of ‘The Anti-Kidnapping Unit' to LA Screenings
Now in its fourth season, Globoplay original 'The Anti-Kidnapping Unit' is a testament to the investment of the major Brazilian streamer in strong national content that can spawn several seasons. Globo arrives at the buzzy LA Screenings with the international launch of the new batch, which continues to trail Detective Carlos Mendonça (Silvio Guindane) and Inspector Juliano Santiago (Erom Cordeiro) as they tackle the violent wave of kidnappings that plagued Rio de Janeiro between the late '80s and '90s.
Created by José Junior and José Luiz Magalhães, and directed by Lipe Binder, 'The Anti-Kidnapping Unit' further consolidates a fruitful partnership between AfroReggae Audiovisual and Globo, a collaboration that has also resulted in other national hits such as 'Living On a Razor's Edge,' 'Dissident Archangel,' and 'The Game.'
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AfroReggae Audiovisual CEO José Junior tells Variety that his motivation to continue writing new storylines for the series comes much from the 'love' the public feels for the main duo of Mendonça and Santiago. 'The success of the duo is so big that I had them in the third season of 'Dissident Archangel.''
Does this love for the characters add any pressure to the writing behind a new season? 'Every successful series demands that the writers and producers outdo themselves with each season,' says Junior. 'It's like being at the Olympic Games and having to beat your record.'
'The public identifies itself with real-life stories,' continues the creative, highlighting the connection between the series and its faithful audience. 'The work of the Rio de Janeiro Anti-Kidnapping Unit is perhaps the only public safety policy in the history of the state that has worked and continues to work today. Telling these stories without any filters allows the public to make their own conclusions on whether or not they think the modus operandi of this unit is right or wrong.'
Another key aspect for this identification is AfroReggae Audiovisual's commitment to 'verisimilitude' and 'diversity.' The production company, although independent, was spawned out of AfroReggae, an NGO founded by Junior in 1993 to reduce the use of drugs, disease, and crime in the favelas through artistic education. Junior is 'very proud' of the number of Black creatives involved in all of AfroReggae Audiovisual's projects, many of whom come out of the penal system.
'I believe part of our success is the combustion resulting from working with these casts, which makes all the difference,' he says. 'We also shoot in real places, be it a prison or a favela. This brings great truth to our products and projects and the public finds identification with our propositions much because of that. We work with verisimilitude and you can't do so without diversity, especially when it comes to Black actors.'
Junior and AfroReggae Audiovisual have successfully cornered the market of real-life crime stories in Brazilian television/streaming. Asked about the potential of the crime niche, which has proven solid for decades across the world with entire franchises such as 'Law and Order' and 'CSI', the CEO says he and his team are 'very tuned to this demand.'
'We have new projects coming up with Globoplay, on top of several series coming back for new seasons,' he adds. One of their most high-profile projects coming up is 'Na Linha de Fogo,' the first film to come out of the partnership established between Globoplay and Disney. The film, which revolves around the devastating consequences of the territorial fight between drug traffickers and police forces in Rio de Janeiro, is directed by Afonso Poyart ('Solace') and stars Juliano Cazarré ('Neon Bull') and Nathalia Dill ('Pride and Passion').
Speaking about his long-term creative partner, Junior says Globoplay has 'made all the difference in the Brazilian market.' One such difference is the popularization of Brazilian series amongst national audiences, a key victory when taking into consideration that Brazil is one of the top subscription markets of international streaming platforms in the world and has wide access to a variety of global content. 'With the quality of Brazilian series, the public consumes more and more. The diversity brought by streamers worldwide has made us seek a higher degree of excellence.'
'Next year marks 10 years of our partnership with Globoplay, as well as our tenth anniversary,' he emphasizes. 'Everything we have done so far has been within the company, and we feel like true partners.'
Junior is also thrilled that Globo is bringing 'The Anti-Kidnapping Unit' to the international market. 'We have great pride in working within a national platform able to compete internationally. Exporting our work is essential. I believe in Globo as a historic company that has been making a difference for so many years, not only in Brazil, but abroad, too. Also, personally, when a series gets to a fourth season, it means it's a success, and being able to show that not only in my home country but abroad fills me with pride.'
In addition to the international launch of the fourth series of 'The Anti-Kidnapping Unit,' Globo is also bringing its wide portfolio of formats to L.A., including recent popular novelas such as 'Crazy About You' and 'She's the One' and documentaries like 'Xuxa, A Life on TV,' exploring the life and career of one of the country's biggest TV icons, and 'Robinho Case,' trailing the criminal investigation that led to the famed football star's criminal conviction for sexual assault.
'The Anti-Kidnapping Unit' is an original Globoplay production in partnership with AfroReggae Audiovisual and A Fábrica.
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