Globo, TV Azteca Unveil Co-Pro

CANNES: At a press conference this morning, TV Globo and TV Azteca unveiled their novela co-production Between Love and Desire, based on a classic Brazilian novela and produced at Azteca Novela Studios in Mexico.

The two companies presented a trailer of the new production in Cannes today. Featuring scenes filmed in such diverse locales as Riviera Nayarit, Puero Vallarta, Mexico City, Vancouver and Rio de Janiero, the series is produced by María del Carmen Marcos Rojas from Azteca Novelas and Guilherme Bokel, Globo’s director of international production. The new version is penned by Mexican writer Consueloa Garrido, adapted from the original show by Gilberto Brafa. The 165-episode tale of love and desire stars famed novela actress Lorena Rojas, returning to the screen after a battle with cancer, Victor González and Alexandra Graña. Launched this week in Mexico, the novela is airing in prime time.

"This is the third co-production we released in less than a year," said Ricardo Scalamandré, head of international business at Globo. "After establishing a partnership with Telemundo in the U.S. and with SIC in Portugal, this co-production with TV Azteca is an important milestone in our telenovela’s production history. We recognize the importance of the Mexican market and having a product being aired in prime time is proof that co-production is a successful strategy within our development plan."

Also on site for the launch was Mario San Román, CEO of TV Azteca. "The winners of this new relationship between TV Azteca and TV Globo will be the audience, and we feel confident that will last very long and that it is the beginning of many more co-production projects. The fidelity index shown at the first week means that the audience loved the story. It is a very good start and we are sure we will maintain those numbers during the whole story.

Comarex and Globo TV International will share distribution rights for the global market.

Executives at the session, which also included Globo’s Raphael Correa Netto and Azteca’s Alberto Santini, stressed that this partnership is the first of many. "We are building a long-term relationship," Correa Netto said.