Brazilian and Portuguese bands Glaz and Boat Rocker are preparing the mystery drama “Human Nature”

“Back to 15” (Source: Vans Bumbeers)

Glaz Entretenimento, one of the fastest growing companies in Brazil and Portugal, and global company Boat Rocker have signed a co-production and distribution agreement for the fantasy mystery TV series project “Human Nature”.

“Human Nature” was created and executive produced by Denis Nielsen (“3%,” “Rensga Hits!”) with Joe Mallozzi (“Stargate Atlantis”) serving as showrunner, and marks Glaz’s entry into English-language TV drama production.

The television series is inspired by true events and is set at a surfing event in the Azores. There, a young surfer discovers strange occurrences in his seemingly idyllic island community when participants suddenly start disappearing.

Maggie Malina (“Promised Land”) and Carolina Alckmin, business director and producer of Glaz Entretenimento, will also serve as executive producers.

Based in Brazil and now Portugal, Glaz Entretenimento has made its name with comedies that have received national recognition in Brazil. With a long tradition of creating animation and live-action programs, the company has already produced film and television content in Brazil. Now it is focusing on major streaming projects and expanding into the international market with its offices in Lisbon as a European bridgehead.

The company took off by securing orders from Netflix for the series “De volta aos 15” (“Back to 15”), which was inspired by influencer Bruna Vieira’s book. The series’ final season was a huge success not only in Brazil but also in several other countries such as Portugal, France and Germany. Seasons 1 and 2 were among the streamer’s top 10 non-English language shows. Season 3 of the series will premiere in the second half of 2024.

Other notable recent moves by Glaz in Brazil include:

*The production of seasons 2 and 3 of “Rensga Hits!” for Globoplay. Season 1 was a great success not only on the Brazilian platform but also on linear television, reaching more than 20 million households when it premiered in 2022. The new season of the series is written by Renata Correa and directed by Nathalia Warth, Carolina Durão and Isabella Gabaglia, produced by Carolina Alckmin and Mayra Lucas.

*Glaz is also developing a new music show called “Brega Story,” based on a graphic novel by Gidalti Jr., winner of the Jabuti Award. “‘Brega’ has elements that we enjoyed exploring in ‘Rensga Hits!’ (Music Universe), but bolder and with a different landscape: the north of Brazil, Belém do Pará; and instead of Brazilian country music Sertanejo, we’re going for Tecnobrega,” said Alckmin, a former O2 Filmes executive.

*Also in the pipeline is an erotic thriller based on a book by Sue Hecker, author of Burning Betrayal. The film, Glaz, was released on Netflix in October 2023 and reached the streaming service’s global top 10 non-English language shows for four weeks. “It’s clear to us that there is an audience interested in this genre and we want to be able to reach that audience. That’s why we’re developing an investigative series that follows a crime that takes place in a pleasure club called Clube Hedonê,” she said.

Glaz’ business model in Portugal

“After seeing how well Brazilian content is received abroad – as shown by the success of our films and series on Netflix – we were keen to explore collaborations with other countries. Why not bring our expertise in feature film co-productions to television series as well? And what better place to do that than Portugal?” asks Alckmin.

“Portugal has amazing landscapes and talent, both creative minds and crew members. The weather is fantastic – 300 days of sunshine a year. The audiovisual industry is not as crowded as in Spain, and yet you can access equivalent resources in terms of equipment and technology,” said Alckmin.

“A more cost-effective way”

Alckim added: “From New York, the flight takes seven hours, from São Paulo, ten hours… And last but not least, the country is aware of the economic power of the entertainment industry and wants to support it through public incentives.”

“If we bring more audiovisual projects to Portugal, we bring more money into the country – and we help create a world of imagination that ultimately supports all other types of additional economic activities here, such as tourism. In addition, we can create an alternative for the American/Brazilian market, for example, which wants to produce great content in a more cost-effective way,” she concluded.

In addition to “Human Nature”, Glaz Entretenimento is involved in other film and television projects in Portugal, including:

*The thriller series “Nazaré” by Taina Muhringer and Carolina Margoni revolves around two women – a former Spanish lawyer and a Portuguese investigator – who work together to solve a murder.

* In the non-fiction field, Glaz produces the true crime series “Gis” by Gustavo Ribeiro and Fernanda Polacow about Gisberta Salce Junior, a Brazilian trans woman who was killed by a group of orphans in the city of Porto – a murder that shocked Portugal.

“After being nominated for the International Emmy Award for ‘The Evandro Case – The Devilish Plot’, we realized the impact this genre has on raising awareness. This is a sensitive topic that needs to be discussed urgently,” commented Alckim.

*Glaz is also preparing two new feature film projects: “Caminhos do Coração”, by Flavia Lins e Silva and Maria Ines Almeida, about three Brazilian women who grow closer by walking the Camino de Santiago together and discovering that the midlife crisis can actually be the beginning of a new life; and the intellectual property in development “Pão de Açúcar”, based on the award-winning book by Afonso Reis Cabral, winner of the Premio Camoes.

Alckmin will speak on Wednesday, June 19, as part of a panel discussion on the Brazilian industry, part of the 8th edition of the Conecta Fiction Forum, which will be held in Toledo from June 18 to 21.