Netflix Announces the Adaptation of Marcelo Rubens Paiva's 'Happy Old Year'

Produced by Amaia and O2 Filmes, the series based on the author's autobiography was revealed during Flip.

One of the foundational stories of late 20th-century Brazilian literature, Happy Old Year (Feliz Ano Velho), the autobiography by Marcelo Rubens Paiva published in 1982, is getting a new screen adaptation by Netflix. The series is produced by Amaia and O2 Filmes. The announcement was made during the 24th edition of Flip (Paraty International Literary Festival).

"Happy Old Year is a story that, starting from an intensely personal account, manages to reach the universal theme of what it means to be young. Perhaps that's why it created such a strong emotional connection with an entire generation of readers. With this adaptation, we want those who already know the story to be moved by seeing it on screen, and new generations of fans to fall in love with it," says Haná Vaisman, Netflix Director of Series, Brazil.

Pioneering in both form and content, Happy Old Year is an autobiographical novel centered around the accident that left the author quadriplegic at age 20. Written with a confessional tone and colloquial language, Paiva delivers a surprisingly ironic account of a dramatic turning point in his life, breaking stereotypes surrounding disability while addressing universal themes of youth and coming of age.

"Happy Old Year has already been adapted into a play, a musical and an opera, and now, finally, this work, which is so vital to Brazilian culture, is coming to streaming," said Paiva. "I'm thrilled to see another marriage between Brazilian literature and the audiovisual arts, bringing our stories from the pages to the screen."

Filming has not yet begun, and no release date has been announced.

"Adapting Happy Old Year for the screen is also a way of engaging with Marcelo's journey and the courage he had to transform his personal experience into universal literature. There are stories we produce, and there are stories we feel a true need to tell. It's an honor, as well as a responsibility, to bring it to the screen with all the subtlety and truth it demands," celebrated producers Diane Maia (AMAIA) and Andrea Barata Ribeiro (O2 Filmes).

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About Amaia

Founded in 2021, AMAIA is a Brazilian production company dedicated to developing and producing audiovisual projects that blend artistic relevance with broad audience appeal. In its five-year history, the company has won two Best Picture awards at the São Paulo International Film Festival, an award at the Rio Film Festival, and has participated in numerous international festivals. Its portfolio spans film, TV, and streaming, featuring highlights such as O Melhor Lugar do Mundo é Agora (The Best Place in the World is Now) and Eu Não Te Ouço (I Don't Hear You), both by Caco Ciocler; Meu Sangue Ferve por Você (My Blood Boils for You) by Paulo Machline; and Todas As Canções de Amor (All the Love Songs) by Joana Mariani. Currently in development are the feature film O Personagem (The Character) by Fábio Mendonça (presented at the Marché du Film in Cannes); Monique Gardenberg's new feature based on a novel by J.M. Coetzee; two Netflix productions; and projects with Valter Hugo Mãe, Cao Hamburger, Gabriela Amaral Almeida, and Murilo Hauser.

About O2 Filmes

Founded in 1991, O2 is one of Brazil's leading film and TV production companies, collaborating with major international agencies and studios. Helmed by Andrea Barata Ribeiro, Fernando Meirelles, and Paulo Morelli, the company boasts a diverse portfolio, including nearly 9,000 commercials and award-winning feature films, such as City of God (4 Academy Award nominations) and Marighella (7 awards at the 2022 Brazilian Film Grand Prize), among others. For television, it has recently produced acclaimed series such as Brasil 70 - A Saga do Tri (Netflix), Cangaço Novo / Law of the Jungle (Prime Video), City of God: The Fight Rages On (MAX), September Mornings (Prime Video), and The Adventures of José & Durval (Globoplay). With its own studios and post-production facility, O2 also distributes films through O2 Play, having promoted nearly 400 titles to date.