Content Americas: 25% Attendance Hike, Market Caution, Brazil’s Bounce Back, Mexico’s Holy Grail and First News

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent A planned international rerelease of Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles’ “City of God” will kick off from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), marking the 2002 cult crime drama’s first theatrical outing in the region. Prominent Dubai-based distributor Front Row Filmed Entertainment has partnered with Paris-based distributor The Festival Agency – which in turn acquired the “City of God” rerelease rights from Wild Bunch – on what it said marks the beginning of many rereleases planned by Front Row going forward.

Valerie Wu Intern After nearly six years, the end of Fox’s “X-Men” movies and an acquisition by Disney, Deadpool is finally back — and he’s arrived in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The first trailer for “Deadpool and Wolverine” was shown at the 2024 Super Bowl on Sunday. Not only is Ryan Reynolds‘ Merc With a Mouth back, he’s also bringing Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine — who fans last saw die in 2017’s sendoff movie “Logan.” The trailer shows the Time Variance Authority, the multiverse managers last seen in “Loki” Season 2, kidnap Deadpool while he’s celebrating his birthday and bring him into the MCU.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Nele Wohlatz‘s “Sleep With Your Eyes Open,” which has its world premiere in the Encounters section of the Berlin Film Festival, has debuted its trailer (below). Rediance has taken world sales rights. Wohlatz’s fiction debut “El futuro perfecto” won Locarno’s Golden Leopard for the best first feature in 2016, and was invited to more than 70 international film festivals.

Meghan Markle has been spotted beaming as she's broken cover for the first time since the news of King Charles' cancer diagnosis. Prince Harry raised back to the UK this week from LA to be with his father, who is receiving treatment for an unspecified treatment, to have an intimate 45-minute chat with the King at Clarence House.

Rafa Sales Ross Guest Contributor Marcelo Gomes’ new film “Portrait of a Certain Orient” will be represented for world sales by Brazil’s O2 Play. The deal was sealed ahead of the film’s premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, where it plays as part of the Big Screen Competition.

Holly Jones Far-out cineaste Santiago Mohar Volkow (“Los Muertos”) will deliver his fourth feature “A History of Love & War” (“Una Historia de Amor y de Guerra”) to audiences at the 53rd edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam. A viscally ludicrous examination of Mexico’s colonial history and the duplicitous nature of high-wealth, the film screens as part of the Harbor strand, dedicated to a wide range of contemporary narratives.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Brazil’s giant media conglom Globo and Spain’s Atresmedia International, the overseas arm of top commercial broadcaster Atresmedia, have renewed their strategic pact for another five years, in which Atresmedia delivers Globo telenovelas, series and mini-series across Latin America and the U.S. Hispanic market.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Sony Pictures‘ “Madame Web,” a standalone origin story in the studio’s array of “Spider-Man”-based Marvel characters, has been granted a theatrical release in mainland China. The film will open in the country on March 1 — two weeks after the title’s Valentine’s Day bow in North America and multiple international territories, including the Chinese-language markets of Taiwan and Hong Kong. The release marks a welcome opportunity for Sony, which, along with the other traditional studios faced difficulty in securing theatrical runs in China over recent years.

Callum McLennan Brazilian TV behemoth Globo presented its world premiere preview of Brazilian series “Justice: Misconduct” at Content Americas, while also spotlighting its 2024 slate, presenting via sleek fast-paced sizzle reels its array of ever popular telenovelas such as “Crossed Paths,” “Land of Desire,” and “Perfect Love” alongside teasing the continuation of its successful “Justice” series. “Justice: Misconduct,” the series created by Manuela Dias, is a narrative of moral complexity and human connection framed by the dilemmas surrounding the notion of justice.

Naman Ramachandran Indian star Shruti Haasan will headline India-U.K. film co-production “Chennai Story.” Haasan, who is also a renowned musician, has acting credits across India’s various language film industries and in the U.S. and U.K.

Marta Balaga Cecilia Mato and Lucas Vivo García Lagos, founder of Navajo Films Argentina and Intro Pictures Brazil, have joined forces to launch Navajo Films Uruguay. “We interpret the idea of ‘bringing a fresh perspective to the industry’ as infusing new ideas, creativity and a unique approach into our work. Despite being two young individuals, we bring a wealth of experience to the table.

Anna Marie de la Fuente A bio-series about iconic ranchera singer Chavela Vargas starring “La Reina del Sur” lead Kate del Castillo is in the works. Colombia’s Caracol Televisión and indie Miracol Media are co-producing “Chavela,” which will trace the tumultuous life and career of the legendary singer.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Ben Lobato, co-showrunner of Alice Braga-starrer “Queen of the South,” a top-three Nielsen ratings performer for USA Network, has boarded “Hot Sur,” a fast-moving thriller set up at Pablo and Juan de Dios Larraín’s Fabula and at Fremantle Mexico, the burgeoning Mexican production hub of the global production-distribution giant. Lobato will showrun the TV series, which will be helmed by Gabriel Ripstein, writer-director of acclaimed Mexican Amazon Original “An Unknown Enemy.” Shaping up as one of the biggest new projects being brought on the market at Content Americas, “Hot Sur” will be presented at Content Americas Copro Pitch on Tuesday, one of the TV market and forum’s industry centerpieces. In it, Maria Paz, an undocumented Mexican immigrant looking after her bipolar sister, becomes a fugitive after being falsely accused of murder.

The upcoming 74th Berlin Film Festival looks set to be its starriest edition in years with Kristen Stewart, Adam Sandler, Cillian Murphy, Lena Dunham, Sebastian Stan, Amanda Seyfried and Rooney Mara among the talent due to attend this year.

EXCLUSIVE: HanWay Films will represent international sales at next month’s EFM on Berlinale Competition title La Cocina. Fifth Season co-financed the film and is co-representing North America with WME.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Fabula–Fremantle’s “Hot Sur,” The Mediapro Studio’s “El Mal” and “Two Nights in Lisbon,” from Portugal’s Hop Films and the U.K’s Heroes Films, look like potential standouts at next week’s Content Americas Copro Pitch 2024, one of its industry centerpieces. These series projects will be joined by crime mystery thriller “Delito,” from Barcelona’s Grup Focus TV & Films, behind banner Amazon Original “Reina Roja,” “Iron Woman,” a tumultuous political saga from Brazil-based Jarsom Wayans, two high concept doc series – Argentina’s “Climate Migrants” and Brazil’s “Mystery of the Megafauna” – and bio doc feature “Farraquito, a Flamenco Story,” profiling the famed flamenco bailaor.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent A group of 20 prominent screen trade organizations have united to ask governments around the world to enact regulations ensuring that global streaming giants like Netflix and Disney+ invest more resources in local content. The joint plea — hailing from production bodies in Europe, Canada, Australasia and Latin America — comes as streaming services have scaled down on acquiring and commissioning local content across many markets within the last year in order to ramp up profitability.

Callum McLennan Continuing their alliance into 2024, EO Media, led by Ezequiel Olzanski and SPI International, a Canal+ company, have secured all rights for Latin America, including Brazil, to a star-stacked slate of movies from topline talent such as Keanu Reeves, Kate Hudson, Nicole Kidman, Michael Shannon and fanbase stalwart Jean Claude Van Damme. As star talent continues to mark apart titles in a crowded marketplace, the new nine-pic distribution lineup also features Alec Baldwin, Diane Keaton.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Debbie Harry, lead singer of Blondie, will be among those taking part in on-stage talks at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, which runs Jan. 25 to Feb.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Italy’s Sveva Alviti (“Dalida”) and U.S. actor Newton Mayenge (“Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty”) are attached to star in Cannes-set romantic drama “The Other Side of Fame” to be directed by Erik Bernard (“Free Dead or Alive”).