CANNES, France — In what looks like one of the banner early deals unveiled at this year’s Mipcom convention in Cannes, via his prodco label Crossing Oceans, Ron Leshem, creator of the original “Euphoria,” will be joining forces with Koby Gal Raday and Ilda Santiago’s Janeiro Studios and Globoplay, the leading Brazilian streaming platform, to produce “Paranoia.
“Paranoia” is a 8×45 minutes returning series, a production of Janeiro Studios and Crossing Oceans, Leshem’s joint drama label with his long-time partner Amit Cohen, and under the stewardship of producer-writer Daniel Amsel, who was also behind the original Israeli “Euphoria,” created by Leshem. It is co-produced with Globoplay and additional partners, to be announced in coming months.
Janeiro Studios’ launch was announced in June 2024, as well as its focus on premium scripted series and feature films from Brazil and Latin America and international high-end projects from A-list talents.
To shoot in Portuguese and entirely in Rio de Janeiro, “Paranoia” is also created by Leshem, who has carved out a preeminent position on the international TV scene over the last 20 years, making series which combine the market-friendly tensions of thriller and a multi-layered thoughtfulness.
This ranges from drawing a defining portrait of contemporary youth in the original Israeli “Euphoria” (2012) or depicting a man’s search for his sister and own self-worth in a war-torn Syria (“No Man’s Land,” 2020) or exposing the tragedy of the Israel-Palestine conflict (“Red Skies,” 2023). The compelling results have streamed on HBO Max (Valley of Tears”), Hulu (“No Man’s Land) and Netflix (“Bad Boy,” 2025).
In a unique move for Leshem, however – which embodies Janeiro Studios’ vision of connecting Brazilian talent with global A-list creatives – Leshem will now travel to Brazil to develop “Paranoia” with scribe Claudia Jouvin. Writing 13 episodes of “Under Pressure,” one of the most acclaimed of modern-day Brazilian series, Jouvin has really drawn heat, however, as head writer on “Perfect Days,” a stylish and rapidly unsettling sexual abuse drama, plumbing pathological male narcissism, which bowed this summer to large critical plaudits – “an achievement, Brazilian impact psychological suspense,” said newspaper Folha de Pernambuco – and ratings which made “Perfect Days” Globoplay’s most-watched original series since the service’s launch.
“‘Paranoia’s’ unique story concept is described by its producers as “‘Black Swan’ and ‘Whiplash’ mixed with the feel-good vibes and payoffs of the ‘Queen’s Gambit’ and the generation-defining impact of ‘Euphoria,’ bringing to screen unsung characters from all around Brazil, taking place in a contemporary and vibrant Rio de Janeiro, exposed as never seen before.”
Leshem and Jouvin, now series head writers, will collaborate with new emerging Brazilian talent to deliver a new portrayal of Gen-Z, a generation confronted with unique and unprecedented challenges such as deep fake and AI’s stronghold of virtual realities, loss of privacy, mental health in a post pandemic world, lack of financial education, and much more, they added.
“Paranoia” is produced by Koby Gal Raday, Ilda Santiago, Ron Leshem, Amit Cohen and Mayra Faour Auad.
Koby Gal Raday, Ron Leshem, Claudia Jouvin, Alex Medeiros
Credits: Philipp Lavra, Lena Nugent, Jorge Bispo, Globo / Beatriz Damy
Leshem, Gal Raday, Globoplay’s Alex Medeiros on ‘Paranoia’
“Brazil and Brazilian cinema have influenced me throughout my professional career and always felt like a real cultural home,”said Leshem. “This collaboration with Globoplay, inspired creative dialogue and partnerships we’ve created in the past few months and plan for the near future, feels like an exciting journey I’m thrilled to take. I share Janeiro Studios’ vision and happy to embark on this exciting path with the talented Claudia Jouvin. Together we plan to immerse audiences in Brazil and around the world to explore the complex world of current Gen-Z.”
“We are delighted to announce our first collaboration with Ron Leshem and Claudia Jouvin to produce ‘Paranoia,’ our inaugural premium production. This series embodies the DNA of Janeiro Studios, seamlessly bridging the gap between renowned international talent and Brazilian A-list filmmakers,” added Gal Raday, Janeiro Studios CEO. “‘Paranoia’ will push the envelope of high-end drama through innovative storytelling and an ambitious scale. Globoplay is the ideal home for this unique series, celebrating Rio de Janeiro and connecting audiences from diverse backgrounds. In collaboration with Globoplay’s esteemed executives Manuel Belmar, Tatiana Costa and Alex Medeiros, we are proud to deliver this series to Brazilian audiences and the global market.”
“The partnership with Janeiro Studios and the creative collaboration between Ron Leshem and Claudia Jouvin reflect our commitment to telling innovative stories that resonate with new generations,” added Alex Medeiros, Head of Drama & Film of digital products at Globoplay. “As the largest producer of Portuguese-language audiovisual content in the world, Globoplay actively seeks strategic partnerships with key players to expand the reach of our narratives. Co-production is a model that strengthens our portfolio in Brazil while connecting us with new global audiences. We are excited to co-produce this project and share our Brazilianess with the world,” he added.
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