EXCLUSIVE: Happy Old Year, by Marcelo Rubens Paiva, the author of I’m Still Here, is being adapted by Netflix. I’m Still Here was adapted as a movie to much acclaim, while Happy Old Year will be a series.
Considered a foundational story in the canon of late 20th-century Brazilian literature, Happy Old Year (original Portuguese title: Feliz Ano Velho) was first published in 1982. The series will be produced by Amaia Filmes and City of God label O2 Filmes.
Netflix is expected to make the news official during the ongoing FLIP literary festival in Paraty, in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro.
Paiva is a novelist, playwright, screenwriter and journalist. Happy Old Year was his first book. His later autobiographical family memoir Ainda Estou Aqui formed the basis for Walter Salles’ Oscar-winning film I’m Still Here. Last year he told Deadline about having his work adapted.
Happy Old Year is an autobiographical novel centered on an accident that left Paiva tetraplegic at age 20. It is an irreverent account of a dramatic turning point in his life, challenging stereotypes surrounding disability while, thematically, speaking about 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,” Paiva said. “I’m thrilled to see another marriage between Brazilian literature and the audiovisual arts, bringing our stories from the pages to the screen.”
Netflix has worked up a deep Brazilian slate in recent years and opened a new office in the country earlier in 2026.
“Happy Old Year is a story that manages to reach the universal theme of what it means to be young, from a highly personal account,” said Haná Vaisman, Director of Scripted Series for Brazil at the streamer.
“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.”
Filming has not started yet. We will update when we have more production info. In the meantime, producers, Diane Maia from Amaia and Andrea Barata Ribeiro (O2 Filmes) said in a joint statement: “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.”
The pair added: “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.”
