Globoplay, the freemium streaming service of Brazilian media giant Globo, is stepping into the genre market with “Reincarnate.” The streamer’s first original horror series will have its first public bow as part of this year’s Berlinale Series Market Selects, with an official release date yet to be announced.
“Reincarnate” has a nine-episode run and begins with Tulio, a former cop, released from prison after spending 18 years locked up for killing his partner, Caio. On his first day of freedom, Tulio plans on ending his life, but a teenager knocks on his door, claiming to be Caio reincarnated. Together, the two embark on a journey to solve Caio’s murder, find the real killer, and restore Tulio’s honor. The series takes place in the Brazilian countryside and features stars such as Taís Araujo (“Shades of Sin,” ‘A Mother’s Love”), Julia Dalavia (“Pantanal”) and Grace Passô (“The Day I Met You”).
Bruno Safadi signs the series’s artistic direction, with the script penned by a writer’s collective composed of Juan Jullian, Igor Verde, Elísio Lopes Jr, Amanda Jordão, and Flávia Lacerda. Speaking with Variety ahead of the Berlinale, the writers emphasized the importance of creating a genre thriller that still feels authentically Brazilian.
Courtesy of João Miguel Júnior
“This is a series about identity that asks the most fundamental human question: who am I? Identity is a powerful illusion, and we grasp onto it in such a way that, if someone has a different identity than ours, we try to invalidate it instead of enjoying diversity,” says Verde. “This is at the root of necropolitics and the idea of who gets to die and who gets to live. In that way, there is no better starting point than death.”
Jordão adds that the group had a “very collective” process, working together on each step of writing the series and developing its tone and goals. “All of us wrote all of the characters and were equally responsible for all the episodes. It was a more laborious process, of course, but we like this construction.”
“We know that stories about the mysteries of life resonate with people,” continues Jordão when speaking about the early seeds of inspiration for “Reincarnate.” “Despite all of us having distinct references, part of what unites us is growing up under the heavy influence of Brazilian telenovelas. ‘Reincarnate’ is not inspired by a specific novela per se, but we drank from the fountain of Brazilian melodrama.”
Other references for the series include “American Horror Story: Coven,” “Lovecraft Country,” “Silence of the Lambs,” and Jordan Peele’s filmography, with Jullian, noting that “Reincarnate” plays with classic tropes of the genre — such as possession and paranormal activity — while “taking these tropes to the Brazilian countryside.”
“Brazilians love horror but can’t always see themselves in those productions,” continues Jullian. “Our characters fight against supernatural forces but also sing karaoke at a dive bar and suffer from a broken heart. We also have a cast that reflects the plurality of our country, with most of our actors being Black, something that wasn’t a reality for a very long time when it comes to Brazilian television. I see it as a huge victory to have the opportunity to tell our country a supernatural story with Black and LGBTQIA protagonism.”
As for being selected as one of three Brazilian series at this year’s Berlinale Series Market Selects — alongside “Oxygen Masks will (not) drop automatically” and “Suture” — Lopes Jr. reiterates how an event with the scope of the Berlinale “allows for stories to be seen outside of their countries of production” and that he and his creative partners “hope that fiction can break down barriers and shorten distances so we can entice others to get to know us better.”
“Reincarnate” is an original Globoplay series produced by Estúdios Globo. The show is directed by Noa Bressane and Igor Verde and produced by Isabela Bellenzani.
