NATPE: Globo makes int’l drama move

Globo is making its first-ever drama specifically for the international market, a Spanish-language show based on Brazilian scripted series Supermax.

The Brazilian media giant has coproduced Spanish-language novellas before with Mexico’s TV Azteca and US Hispanic net Telemundo, but the move to make an original Spanish drama series on its own is a first for Globo.

The Spanish Supermax will run to ten one-hours and production gets underway in April. A twelve-part Brazilian series of the same name has already been produced and will air soon on Globo.

The Brazilian company says this is not a format as Daniel Burman, the Argentine filmmaker behind the Spanish version, has created an entirely new version of the show rather than adapt the existing scripts.

The ensemble drama is set within the confines of a TV series and the same set, at Globo’s Rio studios, has been used for the Brazilian and Spanish series.

Burman sat in on the Brazilian writers room for the show before heading back to Argentina and setting up a new room to create a new version of Supermax.

“The production is totally different,” Ricardo Scalamandré, Globo’s head of international business (pictured above, far right) told TBI at the NATPE market in Miami. “The original idea came from Globo but has been adapted to be specific to the Spanish market. It is a natural evolution of the business for us and a way to leverage Globo’s assets.”

TV Azteca has the show for Mexico and could share some of the distribution with Globo. Internationally, the Spanish and not the Brazilian version of Supermax will be taken to market, with visuals ready for buyers by MIPCOM, sales chief Raphael Correa Netto (above, far left) told TBI.

“This shows we have the ability to make shows in Spanish and enhances our value in the market,” he said. “So far we have based our business on what Globo produces but the market [for content] is bigger than that.”

The company said that should the international drama push prove successful it will do more and could then look at moving into English-language production. “If what we do is well received we will do a second and a third [Spanish] show,” said Scalamandré. “We have the facilities and the partners. We also want to go into the Anglo market.”