City of God is, if you ask me, one of the greatest movies ever made. So imagine my surprise when Warner Bros. Discovery announced City of God: The Fight Rages On, a TV show that serves as an official sequel to the 2002 film. Even more surprising, it releases on Max on August 25th. Six episodes, weekly release.
From the press release:
City of God: The Fight Rages On is an adapted continuation of the literary work of Paulo Lins and will tell the story of its characters taking as a starting point the work of the photographer Buscapé. The plot unfolds in the early 2000s when the release of a young drug dealer from prison puts Cidade de Deus back into dispute. Residents find themselves trapped between drug traffickers, militias and public authorities, but the need to escape this cycle makes the community unite to face the oppressor.
With excerpts from the film in flashbacks to reconstruct memories and affective recollections of the protagonists, the film’s characters are back alongside new members. The cast includes big names such as: Alexandre Rodrigues, Roberta Rodrigues, Thiago Martins, Sabrina Rosa, Kiko Marques, Edson Oliveira, Andréia Horta, Marcos Palmeira, Eli Ferreira, Luellem de Castro, Jefferson Brasil, Otávio Linhares, Rafael Lozano, Leandro Daniel, Luiz Bertazzo and debuting talents from communities in Rio de Janeiro such as Cidade de Deus, Vidigal and Mangueira.
City of God: The Fight Rages On is an HBO Original series produced by O2 Filmes. The producers responsible for the project are Andrea Barata Ribeiro and Fernando Meirelles, the co-producers are Cris Abi and Gustavo Gontijo. Aly Muritiba signs the general direction and Bruno Costa joins as second director. The script is by Sérgio Machado, Renata Di Carmo, Armando Praça, Estevão Ribeiro, Rodrigo Felha and Muritiba. On the part of Warner Bros. Discovery is executive produced by Mariano Cesar, Anouk Aaron and Mônica Albuquerque.
I’m always skeptical of sequels, especially when more than 20 years have passed. But. I have a lifetime of experience telling me that “HBO Original” means something good. If I have faith in anyone to pull it off, it’s HBO. So I look forward to August 25th.
