RIO DE JANEIRO -- Following three consecutive years of decreases in admission and B.O., execs are hoping local pics can increase their 11% market share in 2007.
Admissions in 2006 fell 3% over 2005, down to 90 million. Total B.O., however, was up, due to ticket price increases.
The year's first strong release is "Xuxa Twins," starring kids TV fave Xuxa. Pic totaled nearly 800,000 admissions in its first four weeks, and should be able to hit the critical 1 million admissions mark. Last year's Xuxa cartoon "Xuxinha and Guto vs. the Space Monsters" ended up with only 600,000 total admissions, less than the star's live action efforts.
Globo Filmes has high hopes for the year's next big release, "Big Family -- the Film," according to exec director Carlos Eduardo Rodrigues. Mauricio Farias' feature is a spinoff of "Big Family," country's most popular sitcom, which is aired by Organizacoes Globo's TV Globo. Europa Filmes releases the pic with about 250 prints on Jan 26.
Farther down the line, these local pics are expected to make waves in Brazil:
- Paulo Morelli's "City of Men," opening Aug. 31, is a sort of continuation of Fernando Meirelles' 2002 "City of God," of one of the most successful Brazilian features ever, which received four Oscar noms. "City of Men" is expected to also benefit from the popularity of TV Globo's series based on "City of God." O2 Filmes produces.
- "O primo Basilio" ("Cousin Basilio"), opening Nov. 2, is directed by Daniel Filho, who was responsible for the sole Brazilian blockbuster of 2006. "If I Were You" sold a suprising 3.6 million tickets, the third-highest number for a local pic since the early 1990s. Based on Eca de Queiroz's classic Portuguese novel, "Basilio" has a cast of TV Globo's popular telenovela stars.
- Moacyr Goes' "O homem que desafiou o diabo" (The Man Who Challenged the Devil), from Luiz Carlos Barreto's company, is another possible local hit. The pic is due to open Aug. 3.
Two other pics, though lacking the name value of the previous titles, could still catch on, says Paramount senior VP distribution Latin America and Caribbean Jorge Peregrino.
Paulo Sergio Almeida's "Inesquecivel" (Unforgettable) has supernatural elements in its plot, which traditionally pleases Brazilian moviegoers.
Jose Padilha's "Tropa de elite" (Elite Troupe) deals with the harsh crime reality of Rio and has already generated controversy during filming. The Weinstein Co. bought rights for markets outside Latin America.
Rodrigues points out another potential surprise -- Monique Gardenberg's "O pai o." Based on a play, the pic was originally targeted to the art circuit. But since Gardenberg is negotiating a spinoff series with TV Globo, the pic could crossover to a bigger market. "O pai o" is a slang phrase in Bahia state, which means "There it is."
"We have a strong portfolio of features for 2007. I believe four to five films will break the 1 million admissions barrier," says Rodrigues. "But we must watch for a concentration of openings in the second half of this year. Distributors should not release more than one strong local film per week."
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