City Of God Series: HBO Max Is Developing a Sequel Series to The Film

According to what Collider confirmed, HBO Max would be developing a sequel series to the City of God, the acclaimed 2002 film by Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund also nominated for an Oscar in 2004. aired a four-season spin-off series called the City of Men and later a sequel. City of God follows two young boys on divergent roads in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, highlighting the struggles of the city’s impoverished communities. The film uniquely utilized a cast of unknown young men, many of whom were not actors but actual inhabitants of the areas in which they filmed. The film won numerous awards and was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Director for Meirelles and Lund and Best Adapted Screenplay.

During CCXP, Meirelles was recognized for his contribution to Brazilian cinema and revealed plans for a City of God sequel series. Collider confirmed that the series is in development with HBO Max, hinting that the scripts are almost ready and that the platform aims to start filming over the next year. Details about the series are scarce, but according to Meirelles, City of God “was about the shortcomings of communities. This time it’s about the power of those communities”.

City Of God Series: HBO Max Developing Series

City of God is a powerful film and, thanks to the recognition it gained upon release, allowed the entire world to see an often-overlooked area of ​​Rio brought to light. The planned sequel series is not even the first sequel to the film, as the sequel City of Men was released in 2007. This one brought back some of the same characters, focusing on new leads in a story of friendship tested by their fathers’ past sins. The film didn’t have the same impact as City of God but is still considered a harrowing tale of kids forced to grow up quickly in a rough area.

Despite being released 20 years ago, City of God’s themes is still relevant today. The often-shocking film exposed disturbing elements about the communities living in the slums of Rio, showing extreme and cruel violence and underlining the lack of support from the government for the inhabitants of these poor and black neighborhoods. Today, communities around the world are still dealing with these same issues, meaning that many aspects of the film are sadly still relevant today.