Sony Pictures Television-owned Brazilian production company Floresta has announced the development of its first telefilm, a Brazilian adaptation of David Fincher’s acclaimed 2002 thriller “Panic Room.”
The new version, currently in pre-production, will feature a fresh take on the thriller with popular Brazilian actor Isis Valverde stepping into the lead role.
“2024 has been a challenging yet generous year for me, full of possibilities, plans, and projects finally getting off the drawing board,” Valverde tells Variety. “Ending this year with such great news is incredible. Being chosen to play this role is an honor, as is sharing the set with Gabriela Amaral, a truly unique director and a wonderful team. I hope to deliver a performance full of colors that overflows the screen.”
Isis Valverde
Credit: Floresta
Directed by Gabriela Amaral Almeida (“Friendly Beast,” “The Father’s Shadow”), the adaptation follows a recently widowed woman and her young daughter as they seek refuge in a secret panic room after burglars invade their home. What they don’t know is that the intruders are after something hidden in the very room in which they’ve locked themselves.
Floresta’s adaptation of “Panic Room” is expected to bring a fresh intensity to the original’s suspense while exploring timely ethical dilemmas. Fincher’s original, which starred Jodie Foster, was praised for its tense atmosphere and sharp direction.
Over two decades later, the original’s themes of fear, survival, and family will resonate just as deeply in the Brazilian adaptation, according to its producers, who say the new version was developed with global streaming platforms in mind.
“Besides an extremely current plot, we developed an electrifying thriller that also brings an important ethical discussion,” says Floresta Artistic Director of Fiction, Thiago Teitelroit. “The story, an IP of Sony, aligned with what we were looking for: a product that allows great performances from the cast and direction in a narrative capable of appealing to a wide audience.”
Floresta is known for its diverse slate of programming, including adaptations of international hits like “Shark Tank Brazil,” “Top Chef Brazil” and “Rio Connection,” a co-production with Globo Studios and Sony Pictures Television.