In the Country of Shadows, a book by acclaimed author Aguinaldo Silva, will become a TV series. The work, published in 1982, is already in development and will feature a cast made up of Portuguese and Brazilian actors, but will be almost 100% spoken in English.
According to information obtained by the website Deadline, Silva will supervise the project and will be executive producer of the attraction. It will be directed by Pedro Vasconcelos, who also worked at Globo. Guto Colunga is responsible for the general production, while Luiz Felipe Petruccelli is responsible for writing the adaptation's script.
The plot set in the 17th century takes place in the village of Olinda, in Pernambuco. The story centers on the romance between two gay soldiers and how the relationship puts them in the crosshairs of the Portuguese Inquisition's high-ranking officers. The work will also address violence against women and persecution of new Christians in colonial Brazil.
Also according to the website, around 70% of the recordings will take place in Portugal, while the rest will be in Brazilian territory. Production is scheduled for early 2024, but is not tied to any streaming service or broadcaster.
"We sought to involve the love between our protagonists in a lyrical scenario that would awaken in the public the same empathy as any other story starring a heterosexual couple", said Guto Colunga in an official statement sent to journalists.
"We want viewers to feel more than the virility we associate with Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist in Brokeback Mountain [2005] in our two Portuguese soldiers. We want them to experience the beauty, purity and intensity as clear as in romance between Romeo and Juliet."
Bibliography: https://noticiasdatv.uol.com.br/noticia/series/no-pais-das-sombras-livro-de-aguinaldo-silva-sobre-soldados-gays-vira-serie-102291
