Fans of the 2002 film City of God rejoice; HBO announced City Of God: The Fight Rages On, an original series continuing two decades after the film’s timeline. The series will consist of six episodes and premiere this summer in August.
In the original movie, based on Paulo Lins’ (City of God, Mãe Luíza Building Optimism) novel of the same name, the inner workings of organized crime within the Brazilian city were explored through the characters’ lens. The press release comments that while the original movie depicted the Brazilian setting as an “inescapable place,” made clear by the movie’s tagline “if you run, the beast will catch you; if you stay, it will eat you,” that “in the series, the community, plagued by disputes between drug dealers, police, and militiamen, presents a perspective of collective resistance, focusing on the lives of its residents.”
The press release also confirmed that actors from the initial movie will be returning to reprise their roles, including Roberta Rodrigues (End of the Line, Tropical Paradise), Alexandre Rodrigues (Auranas, Paradise City), Sabrina Rosa (Vamos Fazer um Brinde, Teen’s Confessions) Thiago Martins (Brazil Avenue, Universal Squadrons), Edson Oliveira (A Menina da Flor, Bandeira de Retalhos) and Kiko Marques (Pure Beauty, 7 Prisoners).
Additionally, new members joining the original series will be Jefferson Brasil (Boca do Lixo, Vizinhos), Luiz Bertazzo (Caza Izabel, Alice Júnior), Eli Ferreira (Orphans of a Nation, Eduardo and Monica), Luellem de Castro (Encantado’s, Wedding Games), Rafael Lozano (3%, Marighella), Leandro Daniel (Gol a Gol, Rock Story), Otávio Linhares (Casa Izabel, Jesus Kid), Andréia Horta (Flames of Life, Elis) and Marcos Palmeira (Celebrity, Mandrake), via HBO.
HBO partnered with O2 Filmes, the Brazilian production company that produced the film City of God, to produce the new television series. HBO also confirmed that award-winning writer Sérgio Machado (Lower City, The Violin Teacher) contributed to the upcoming series.
City of God: The Fight Rages On will be available to watch on HBO and stream through Max this August.