Alice Braga and Bianca Comparato Launch ‘She, Crocodile’ with Gabriela Almeida

Brazilian actors Alice Braga, known for “Queen of the South,” and Bianca Comparato, from “3%,” have teamed up to create South, a fresh production label with bases in Los Angeles, New York, and São Paulo. The formation of South was made possible with financial backing from FLAGCX, recognized as the largest independent creative services holding firm in Latin America.

South’s first feature, “She, Crocodile,” directed by Gabriela Amaral Almeida, will debut at the 12th edition of the San Sebastian Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum, scheduled from September 25-27.

“She, Crocodile” is described by the producers as a “horror fable.” The movie revolves around a young woman who inherits a luxury real estate brokerage in Rio de Janeiro and gradually transforms into a crocodile. The project was supported during its conceptual phase by the MacDowell Institute Residency program, where Almeida developed a complete 50-page treatment.

Almeida, known for her acclaimed genre films like “The Father’s Shadow” and “Friendly Beast,” explained: “‘She, Crocodile’ arose from my need to depict violence through the lenses of capitalism and women’s issues. This film is my homage to body horror, David Cronenberg, and Douglas Sirk. Expect blood, guts, and heart.”

Vitrine Filmes will handle the distribution of “She, Crocodile” in Brazil.

Aside from backing the film through their new label, Braga and Almeida will take on roles as executive producers. Comparato will not only produce alongside Yana Chang but will also star in the feature.

In an interview with Variety, Comparato remarked, “This movie is a journey of empowerment through body horror and the perfect piece to promote a singular voice from the global south, that is Gabriela Amaral Almeida.”

Comparato elaborated on the broader objectives of South, stating, “Entertainment can, through metaphor and allegory, help audiences make sense of shared societal issues.”

South is also working on a variety of other projects. These include a short film by Luiz Bolognesi, Renata Tupinambá, and Graciela Guarani, set to be filmed in the Amazon next month. They are also developing a new feature by Renee Messora and João Salaviza, known for “The Buriti Flower” and “The Dead and the Others.” Additionally, South is involved in a docuseries co-produced with Brazilian giant Gullane Entertainment and an action-thriller from Gandja Monteiro, who directed episodes of Netflix’s “Wednesday.”

South holds the adaptation rights to several Brazilian books. These include “Diorama” by Carol Bensimon, “The Sound of the Jaguar’s Roar” by Micheliny Verunschk, “Palimpsesto” by Elvira Vigna, and “Gótico Nordestino” by Christiano Aguiar.

The label is also currently developing two debut features from emerging directors Thatiana Almeida and Thales Banzai.

“We invest in a range of content that resonates with audiences and critics. Combining talent, expertise, cutting-edge technology, and entrepreneurial vision, we aim to exceed market expectations while maintaining the flexibility and creativity needed for our productions,” stated Comparato and Braga.

In the U.S., South is represented by WME.

Source: Variety, FLAGCX