A sequel series to the critically acclaimed Brazilian film City of God is reportedly in development. The announcement was made by the film’s co-director Fernando Meirelles while he took the stage to receive the Acclaimed Film Director of the Year award at the Brazilian Award function CCXP film festival

City of God, which was released in 2002, is a hard-hitting portrayal of how the class divide influences violence and crime in the country, particularly the effect on Brazil’s black community. The film was lauded for showing how acts of violence affect children and how they get sucked into a lifetime of crime without the help of the government. Kátia Lund directed the film along with Fernando Meirelles. City of God went on to secure four Academy Award Nominations and is generally considered one of the greatest films of all time.

Twenty years after the original film’s release, the series aims to document the changes along with the problems that still remain in Brazil to this day. The series is currently being developed for HBO Max. The makers are currently planning to start production on the series in 2023.